New Middle Grade Novels

Thank goodness winter break has given me some time to catch up on all of the great 2014 books I haven't gotten to yet. I am trying desperately to NOT read any 2015 books until I get through about 10-15 of the middle grade novels I want to read from 2014. Once I start 2015, they will keep coming and I'll never find time to get back to my stack.

So far, I've read several good middle grade novels. None of these are really a match for 3rd graders but they seem great for 4th-6th.

Ship of Dolls by Shirley Parenteau is a book that I think lots of kids will like.  It is a great into into historical fiction for kids new to that genre.  The story is about the dolls that America sent to Japan in 1926. This is the story of one girl and one doll.  Lexie is dealing with the death of her father. She has recently moved in with her grandparents so there is lots of change in her life.   But her class is sending a doll to Japan as part of the Friendship Doll and Lexie feels very connected to the doll.  Loved the stories and the characters in this one and learned a lot about the Friendship Dolls.  I can think of several 4th graders who might like this one.

All I can say about Revolution by Deborah Wiles is WOW! I loved Countdown and have been anxiously awaiting this second book in Wiles' 60s trilogy.  I am not sure how I waited so long to read it but it is amazing. Just like in Countdown, Wiles weaves real photos and quotes through the story of a girl growing up in the 60s.  This book focuses on Freedom Summer in Mississippi (1964). A fabulous story with believable characters. And I have to say that I learned a great deal about the summer of '64 that I didn't realize.  This is one I'd love to reread. A must read and accessible to 5th graders and above. I wish more adults who are not children's lit fans would find books like this one, as it seems to be one that everyone should read.

I'm about halfway through Screaming at the Ump by Audrey Vernick and can already think of several readers who would like this book. This is a story for sports fans but it is different from others I've read in that the character is not an athlete. Instead, his dad and grandpa own an umpire school (Behind the Plate) and Casey is a big part of it. But mostly, he wants to be a sportswriter.  This is a great story with great characters and a different kind of sports story for kids who love Matt Christopher and Mike Lupica.

I listened to the audio of Tell Me by Joan Bauer and I LOVED it. 12 year old Anna is definitely a favorite character of 2014.  She is funny and kind and quirky.  Anna's parents are having some trouble so they send her to spend some time with her grandmother--in a town that is getting ready for a big Flower Festival. There, Anna sees a little girl who seems to be held against her will and she feels that she must do something.  The book tackles the real issue of human trafficking in a way that is accessible to middle grade and middle school readers. The story is a great one and I am thinking perfect for 5th and 6th grades.  

48 Hour Book Challenge

This year, I was able to participate a bit in Mother Reader's Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge. Although I can never fully participate by the rules of the challenge, I love the weekend because it gives me an excuse to commit a larger amount of time to reading than usual. This year, I spread my time over 3 days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  I read in between family events, graduation parties, and other things.  But over the three days I read some great books. I love this binge reading--really reading lots in a few days. Although my To-Be-Read pile is still huge, it always feels less overwhelming when I spend lots of time reading.  I am excited about the books that I read.  I would recommend every single one of them. It was a great reading weekend!  These are the books I read:

BREADCRUMBS by Anne Ursu is due out in September. This is a favorite of mine for 2011 so far. It is a modern day fairy tale. A version of The Snow Queen. Ursu does an amazing job of weaving in issues that today's children may be dealing with into this fantasy story.  The underlying themes are friendship and loss among other things.  Divorce, boy-girl friendships, international adoption, and other things are explored in this book. The author does a great job at pulling in other stories we know such as the Chronicles of Narnia and the Little Match Girl.  This is a book I may want to reread and definitely a great addition to any intermediate or middle school classroom. I loved it.  It is so good that I would preorder it now so that you don't forget about it in September.

WE ARE AMERICA is a poetry book by Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers that I have been meaning to read.  The book is a powerful one, reminding us about what it means to be American. The book is both a celebration of our country and a realistic look at some issues we deal with as a nation. This is a gorgeous book that older students could read with depth.


I am a huge fan of Michael J. Fox.  As a matter of fact, I found myself purchasing the new issue of Good Housekeeping because Michael J. Fox was on the cover. Honestly, I felt like I was 13 and buying an issue of Teen Beat when I saw his photo on the cover.  I picked up A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON MY WAY TO THE FUTURE by Michael J. Fox and read it as part of my 48 Hour Read. This is a great little essay--one of those books aimed at graduating students. But so much of what Michael J. Fox says in this book resonated for me.  A good, quick, life message.  (By the way, a little Franki Trivia for you--I have a credit in a Michael J. Fox movie. I was the tutor on the set for a child in LIGHT OF DAY for one day of filming in Ohio.  I didn't have to do much tutoring but I did get to ride in a van with Joan Jett and see Michael J. Fox in person from afar many times during the day:-)

I picked up OLIVIA'S BIRDS: SAVING THE GULF by Olivia Bouler a few weeks ago. I had heard the story about Olivia raising money to help birds during the oil spill and was intrigued by the book. This book is full of information and drawings about birds by Olivia. We learn about the fascination of birds and also learn about the dangers to birds, about the oil spill and about Olivia's work to help them.m This is a great piece by an 11 year-old working to make a positive difference in the world.

LOST AND FOUND by Shaun Tan was another that had been on my stack for a while. This is a collection of 3 short pieces around the theme of loss. Each story is different and each leaves the read with lots to think about. The illustrations are incredible and add to the text.  I can see using this with older elementary and middle school students to really dig into the meaning of these stories, both separately and together.

THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN MAKING by Catherynne Valente was the first book that I read. I actually started it a week or two ago but didn't have much time to read during the last weeks of school.  The book is a fairy tale and the main character is one that will stay with me for a long time.  But this is not an easy read. It seems more middle school than middle grade to me.  It is a great, unique fairy tale. I did not fall in love with it until the last 1/3 but by the time I was finished, I loved it. I think had I not spread it out over a busy time of year, I would have loved it immediately.  I definitely recommend this one to readers of more complex fantasy/fairy tales.

I loved QUEEN OF THE FALLS by Chris Van Allsburg and wasn't really expecting to. Honestly, when I ordered it, I had no idea what it was about.  I just ordered it because it was by Van Allsburg and I love most everything by him. The Polar Express was one of the first children's book I owned when I began student- teaching and I have loved his work ever since. But this book is different for this author/illustrator. It is a picture book biography about the first woman to go over Niagra Falls in a barrel.  I am addicted to finding great picture book biographies so finding this one was a real treat. Van Allsburg's illustrations make this a biography I think kids will love--the story is a great one and Van Allsburg's illustrations bring it to life. I am happy to add it to my biographies and to my Chris Van Allsburgh collection.

THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL by Kirby Larson was the last book that I read during the 48 Hour Read and it was a a great ending to a great reading weekend!  I love dolls so I especially liked the idea of this book.  It is a historical booked based on the 57 dolls sent to the United States from Japan in 1927 as "Ambassadors of Friendship". This is the story of one doll and the people she meets in her travels.  The book consists of 5 stories and we see the way that the doll was "brought to life" by each new girl she met.  We also see how each of the girls was changed because of the doll. Each story is powerful by itself.  The book reminded me a bit of The Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo in its premise. This is definitely a new favorite for me.  I have always loved dolls so I am anxious to see how this book does with others who are not so interested in dolls.  My gut says that it is a great story regardless of how you come to it.  Together these create a story of hope, change, loss, friendship and more. At the end of the book, author Kirby Larson gives us a little more background about the Japanese dolls.

So, thanks again to Mother Reader for a great kick-off to my Summer Reading. I am already looking forward to the 7th Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge!

Knowing Your Readers

For the first month of school, I have struggled to recommend books to my new students. I've done a much better job reaching forward to the 5th graders who were in my class last year. I knew just who would want to read the new Worst-Case Scenario book:

Worst-Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure: Everest: You Decide How to Survive!
by Bill Doyle and David Borgenicht, with David Morton, climbing consultant
Chronicle Books, 2011
review copy provided by the publisher







I knew just who would want to read the newest Just Grace book:

Just Grace and the Double Surprise
by Charise Mericle Harper
Houghton Mifflin, 2011
review copy provided by the publisher










And I knew who would want to read the newest book in the Amulet series:

My review here.














But I haven't been able to do a satisfying job of matching my new readers to books.

Until yesterday.

Yesterday, I handed The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson (Franki's mini-review here--last one in the list) to the reader whose first book pick of the year was Cinderella Smith by Stephanie Barden (my review here).

You know that feeling when the puzzle piece you picked fits perfectly in the spot you chose for it? That's how I felt when she came up to me at the end of reading workshop and said, "I LOVE The Friendship Doll!"

2 New Early Chapter Books

I am always looking for good early chapter books. I think kids move from Henry and Mudge to Harry Potter too fast and often lose interest in reading because of it. I am always thrilled when I find great books that help kids build the stamina they need to get through longer books. I also like these books to recommend for teachers looking to add chapter books to their primary classroom read aloud time. Finding books that are easy enough and appropriate for young children, while also giving them real issues to talk and think about is not always easy. These two do both of those things.

LAYLA, QUEEN OF HEARTS by Glenda Millard is one that I just discovered. I like it because it has a bit of depth that you don't often find with earlier chapter books. This is the story of a friendship between Layla and Miss Amelie. Because Layla's grandmother has recently passed away, Layla has no one to take to Senior Citizens' Day at school. With the help of her neighbors, she finds a new friend, Miss Amelie. But Miss Amelie is often very confused and forgetful. Layla isn't sure that Miss Amelie will be able to make it to Senior Citizens' Day after all. The thing I like about this book is the way that it focuses on the relationship between the two characters and the kindness they show to each other. I think it is often difficult for young children to begin to understand the things that often come with aging and illness. This book puts these things into a story that children can understand. I love the characters in this book. The author focuses on the good in each character and the ways in which they support each other. They will stay with me for a while.

And, if you've ever wished your doll would come to life (and who hasn't, really?), you'll want to read THE VERY LITTLE PRINCESS by Marion Dane Bauer. I am a big fan of Bauer and this is a very different kind of book for her, I think. Marion Dane Bauer often deals with hard, real issues in her books. She does so in this one, but cushions it in a tale about a doll coming to life. I so love that. I love this book. It is a short read. About 120 pages. The basic story is like many others--a girl who finds a doll who comes to life. I love this kind of a story--any little tiny people who come to life. But this one is about more than that. It is about pain and loneliness, friendship and abandonment and about living today to its fullest. It is amazing to me that Marion Dane Bauer could pack such big issues into such a fun book. I shouldn't be surprised. She is an amazing author. Again, this would make a great read aloud or a great book for talking about.

(The title of this book is The Very Little Princess #1--could it be that there will be MORE of these coming soon?)

My Favorite Kind of Fantasy

Yesterday, I wrote about my favorite kind of science fiction.

Hands down, my favorite FANTASIES are those with small worlds, or toys that come to life, or characters that shrink.

I'm not sure how many times I re-read The Borrowers when I was a kid.

In high school, I met Archy and Mehitabel, the poetry-writing cockroach and his sidekick alley cat.

In the 80's I loved The Indian in the Cupboard series, though I probably wouldn't recommend it to kids these days. Too many negative stereotypes.

More recently, I have loved The Night Fairy and Masterpiece.

At a loss for other titles that fit this "genre," I turned to the collective brain of Twitter, and my Tweeps did not let me down! Check out this list we/they came up with:

The Littles
Stuart Little
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
The Cricket in Times Square
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Hitty Her First Hundred Years
Toys Go Out
The Friendship Doll
The Castle in the Attic [Paperback]
Mistress Masham's Repose
Traction Man Is Here!
The Doll People
The Eraserheads

My mom and her coffee klatch came up with these classics:

Pinocchio (Little Golden Book)
Gulliver's Travels
Tom Thumb
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
Nutcracker
Toy Story (yeah, it's a movie, but it's a perfect fit!)
Thomas the Tank Engine Story Collection (Thomas & Friends) (The Railway Series)
The Little Engine That Could (Little Letters)

And, then, of course, there's The Sixty-Eight Rooms Series. My current favoritest fantasy.

The Pirate's Coin: A Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure
by Marianne Malone
illustrated by Greg Call
Random House Books for Young Readers (May 28, 2013)

review copy purchased for my classroom library

This is the third book in the Sixty-Eight Rooms series. One of the main settings of these books is the Thorne Rooms in the Art Institute of Chicago. The characters have a magic key that shrinks them so that they can go into the rooms and even out into the different historical periods of some of the rooms.

In this book, Ruthie and Jack have to deal with that conundrum of time travel whereby if you change the past, you might erase yourself from the future/present. They also help a classmate's family clear the family name.

I'm thrilled that Marianne Malone left the door wide open at the end of the book for another volume in this series!