Book Review: The Maypop Kidnapping by C.M. Surrisi

The Maypop Kidnapping by C.M. Surrisi

 

 

I had the opportunity to read a digital-ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is a fun, middle-grade mystery to read. I enjoyed it, and I believe my fifth grade students would enjoy it, because it's got more suspense to it than mysteries for earlier readers (Cam Jansen, Nate the Great, Encyclopedia Brown), but it's not over-the-top with scary violence.

 

The characters are definitely relatable for middle-grade readers. The protagonist, thirteen-year-old Quinnie Boyd, is getting ready to begin a new school year. She's unhappy because her best friend, Zoe, has moved away. A crime novelist and his daughter, Ella, are moving into Zoe's house. Quinnie's mother, Margaret, holds down a number of important jobs in the town of Maiden Rock, Maine. She's the sheriff, a real estate agent, the mayor, and the postmaster. Quinnie's father runs Gusty's, the only restaurant in town. There's also a number of other small town characters that have important roles as the mystery unfolds.

 

I have never been to Maine, but Surrisi does such a wonderful job describing this small coastal town, that I feel like I have a better understanding of what life is like there. I can imagine what it would be like to walk along the shore of a tidal pool, with gulls flying and screeching overhead. I can hear the sounds of the ocean pounding the shore as I stand on a high cliff overlooking the rocks. This book is definitely a great escape for someone living in the Midwest!

 

The mystery begins when Quinnie's teacher, Blythe Stillford, fails to show up for her traditional first-day-of-school breakfast date at Gusty's. Concerned, Quinnie walks from the restaurant to Ms. Stillford's house. No one appears to be home when Quinnie peeks in the windows and nobody answers the door. She can see her teacher's cell phone resting on the dining room table. She enters the house through the unlocked kitchen door. Food is left out on the counter, her teacher's house is undisturbed, and her car is still in the garage. Quinnie becomes convinced that her teacher has been kidnapped.

 

As the mystery unfolds, we see the events in this story from Quinnie's point of view. We experience her frustration as she tries to get her mom (the sheriff) to take her concerns seriously. And as she looks around at the other people in this small town, she starts to see suspects everywhere. As she enlists the help of Ben, one of her friends in the town, and Ella we can see that she's seen one too many episodes of CSI, and her sense of adventure and imagination is going to lead them on a wild adventure.

 

Character development in this book is great, too. Middle-grade readers will be able to learn along with Quinnie, that she needs to learn to trust her parents more. She also learns that even though someone is from another place (Ella and her father are from New York City.) and is very different from what she's used too (Ella dresses more creatively and wears eye makeup and fingernail polish.), she can still become a good friend.

 

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was engaging and suspenseful. Towards the end, I couldn't put it down because I really needed to know how it turned out. But again, the events and the dangerous criminal elements are appropriate for middle grade readers. I am looking forward to having this title in my classroom library. I think it'll be a popular book with my students.



Hardcover, 304 pages

Expected publication: March 1st 2016 by Carolrhoda Books

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey as a way to share what you have read and/or reviewed in the past week. It's also a terrific way to find out what other people are reading.

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers have given this meme a children's literature focus: picture books, middle grade novels, etc. They "encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting the other bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

 

We've been holding Parent-Teacher Conferences this week (and we'll continue next week). While I love getting the chance to visit with parents and discuss the achievements of their children, it leaves me with less time to read. However, I still try to read a little bit when I get home each night, just to relax from the busy day. Hopefully you've been able to curl up and enjoy some good books this week. Here's what I've been reading:

 

 

After the Woods by Kim Savage  I had the opportunity to read a digital-ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is an exciting YA Mystery/Thriller that had me engaged throughout. I really enjoyed reading this book.

The plot events of this novel take place a year after the attack on Julia Spunk occurred. Julia and her friend, Liv Lapin, were running in the woods together in the late afternoon. Liv ran ahead, and was attacked by a paroled predator, Donald Jessup. Julia jumped into the fray to fight off Jessup. Liv was able to free herself and run away. But Julia's ankle was broken and she wound up being abducted. Julia managed to escape her tormentor, and two days later was rescued by a passing bicyclist. After Jessup was arrested, he committed suicide in jail.

The anniversary of this attack is nearing, and Julia is still having trouble coming to grips with what has happened. A year of psychological therapy, memory flashbacks and panic attacks have only raised more questions. Everyone around Julia wants her to let it go and begin healing, except an ambitious local news anchor, Paula Papademetriou.

The families of these two teenagers have worked hard to keep the news media at arms length throughout this ordeal. But now the body of another young woman has been found in the woods, and this has reopened the investigations and speculations about Donald Jessup and whether or not the parole authorities were negligent in keeping track of him. Papademetriou catches up with Julia and befriends her.

As Julia begins to learn more information from this reporter and starts to become more involved in the research into what exactly happened, she becomes aware that there's more to the situation than what meets the eye. She learns a great deal about friendship, love, and honesty.

For my complete review, please visit my blog: http://www.janatheteacher.blogspot.com/2016/02/book-review-after-woods-by-kim-savage.html

 

 

Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian, Mike Curato (Illustrator)   This is a sweet story about two worms that love each other and want to get married. It seems like it should be a simple thing for two worms to "tie the knot" but one by one, friends come along to offer advice on how a wedding needs to be. And anyone whose ever gotten married knows that there are always lots of people who like to offer opinions on the way weddings should be! The worms take all the advice good-naturedly: they agree to a best beetle, bride's bees, wedding rings, dancing, cake with frosting, flowers... But when they were told that only one of them could be the bride and only one of them could be the groom because that's the way it's always been done, they decided to change things. This book has a very positive message about love and families. It's also very humorous with adorable illustrations.

Be a Friend by Salina Yoon  This is a cute book about a little boy who is a mime. Because he expresses himself by silently acting things out, he often feels lonely and invisible. But one day, Joy catches an invisible ball he kicks and it's an instant friendship. The illustrations are so sweet. This will be a popular book for sure!

Waiting by Kevin Henkes  Caldecott Honor and Geisel Honor Book
I really enjoyed this picture book a lot. The setting stays the same throughout the book - a windowsill. Five friend sit and wait. They wait for different things, but they're very happy waiting together. The illustrations show the changes that take place outside the window, but the friends are there for each other. I like that Henkes doesn't ever show us who is placing items on the windowsill or who moves them around from time to time. Kids can draw their own conclusions. I think this book would be a lot of fun to have in my classroom library.

Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller, Gregory Christie (Illustrator)   I shared this book with my fifth grade students and they enjoyed it. It was a fascinating story about a young man in the 1920s who wanted to read books from the library. Because he was a black man in the South, he wasn't allowed to get a library card. A caring coworker allowed him to use his library card. The paintings are so meaningful, they really capture the emotions that the author and readers felt as we lived this experience together.

More Than Anything Else by Marie Bradby, Chris K. Soentpiet (Illustrator)   The illustrations in this book are really powerful and definitely help tell the story of a young boy (Booker T. Washington)who discovers a deep passion to learn how to read. Soentpiet does an awesome job of capturing the emotions of young Booker when he finally writes his name.

Amazing Faces by Lee Bennett Hopkins (Editor), Chris K. Soentpiet (Illustrator)  This book is an amazing compilation of poetry edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins. The illustrations are amazing!

Granpa by John Burningham   This was a nice, heartwarming picture book about the special relationship the young girl has with her grandfather. It's fun to turn the pages and see the brief exchanges between the two. His comments are in the regular font and her questions or comments are in italics. As you read, you're reminded of the cute things that children say. As time goes along, Granpa becomes more feeble, and eventually we see the girl staring sadly at an empty chair. The author believes that children can draw their own conclusions about what has happened to Granpa. This book could lead to some good, heart-to-heart conversations, but some young children might not be ready for that.

The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco   I loved this book, just like I love all of Patricia Polacco's work! Somehow I hadn't seen this one until I saw some of my friends reviewing it on GoodReads. I was sucked right into Mary Ellen's world on the very first page. She's bored with reading and complains that she would rather be running and playing outdoors. Instead of nagging at her, Grampa invites her to help him find a bee tree. He gets a jar, goes outside to the garden, and captures several bees inside. He lets one escape and the chase has begun. As Grampa and Mary Ellen start chasing the bee all sorts of friends and neighbors join in. There's a sweet treat for everyone once the tree is found!

I really enjoy reading these stories (based on Polacco's family as she was growing up in Michigan) because the grandparents and neighbors are all so fun and loving. They truly care about each other and they have a lot to teach readers. The illustrations do a magnificent job of capturing not only the details of the story, but the personalities of these wonderful people. You really get the sense that the grandparents and their homes are soft places for the young protagonist to land.








 

 

 

 

Book Review: After the Woods by Kim Savage

After the Woods by Kim Savage

 

 

I had the opportunity to read a digital-ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is an exciting YA Mystery/Thriller that had me engaged throughout. I really enjoyed reading this book.

 

The plot events of this novel take place a year after the attack on Julia Spunk occurred. Julia and her friend, Liv Lapin, were running in the woods together in the late afternoon. Liv ran ahead, and was attacked by a paroled predator, Donald Jessup. Julia jumped into the fray to fight off Jessup. Liv was able to free herself and run away. But Julia's ankle was broken and she wound up being abducted. Julia managed to escape her tormentor, and two days later was rescued by a passing bicyclist. After Jessup was arrested, he committed suicide in jail.

 

The anniversary of this attack is nearing, and Julia is still having trouble coming to grips with what has happened. A year of psychological therapy, memory flashbacks and panic attacks have only raised more questions. Everyone around Julia wants her to let it go and begin healing, except an ambitious local news anchor, Paula Papademetriou.

 

The families of these two teenagers have worked hard to keep the news media at arms length throughout this ordeal. But now the body of another young woman has been found in the woods, and this has reopened the investigations and speculations about Donald Jessup and whether or not the parole authorities were negligent in keeping track of him. Papademetriou catches up with Julia and befriends her.

 

As Julia begins to learn more information from this reporter and starts to become more involved in the research into what exactly happened, she becomes aware that there's more to the situation than what meets the eye. She learns a great deal about friendship, love, and honesty.

 

The characters in this novel are very well developed. Even though the main events of the book take place before the opening chapters, the revelations and emotions are fresh. We see events from Julia's point of view, and we learn devastating things right along with her. You feel the pressure of the personalities of this bedroom community of Boston: middle-class single parents trying to make ends meet, police detectives doing their best despite being part of a broken system, and a local television personality with dreams of being an important, relevant journalist with a national following.

 

There is quite a bit that is relevant for readers of young adult fiction. We are faced with teenagers dealing with emotionally abusive parents, fascination with violent, interactive video games, anorexia, domestic violence, and cutting. Kim Savage did a great job of combining all of those elements with romance and a look at the savage news media when a violent crime occurs.

 

This book is appropriate for mature readers in middle school and high school.

 

Hardcover, 320 pages

Expected publication: February 23rd 2016 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey as a way to share what you have read and/or reviewed in the past week. It's also a terrific way to find out what other people are reading.

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers have given this meme a children's literature focus: picture books, middle grade novels, etc. They "encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting the other bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

It's been a busy week of teaching school, attending staff development meetings, and just trying to stay warm. Through it all, I managed to do quite a bit of reading. I think that my favorite way to get warm is to get under the blankets and read my books. I'm definitely looking forward to the warmer days of spring. I certainly hope that groundhog doesn't see his shadow tomorrow!

Here's what I've been reading this past week:

Tru and Nelle by G. Neri  I had the opportunity to read a digital-ARC of this book from NetGalley. It truly was a joy to read and I think this will be a very popular book this year. I was initially drawn to this title because of its description: a fictionalized account of Truman Capote's and Harper Lee's friendship during their childhood.

As children, these two famous writers lived next door to each other in Monroeville, Alabama . The story opens in 1930, at the beginning of the Great Depression, when Tru is seven and Nelle is six. These two are as different from each other as they could possibly be: Tru dresses in fancy outfits and is very delicate and Nelle is a tomboy who wears overalls and is very outspoken. But it is because of their differences that they become close friends; they are the only ones that understand and appreciate their unique qualities.For my complete review, please visit my blog: http://www.janatheteacher.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-review-tru-and-nelle-by-g-neri.html

Groundhog's Day Off by Robb Pearlman, Brett Helquist (Illustrations)  This is a fun picture book and I'm glad I was able to get my hands on a copy in time for Groundhog's Day. Groundhog is burnt out. He's fed up with everyone crowding around his hole one day a year to ask him about one thing only: how much more winter is there going to be? Nobody is interested in him as a person. No one ever asks what he thinks about other subjects.

So he decides he's taking the day off this year! This creates a huge problem for the town. They held auditions for a replacement, but it was a disaster. When Groundhog hears about how much he is missed, he returns and things are much different for him.

The illustrations are just delightful. They are colorful and humorous. I love all of the mishaps during the replacement auditions: Elephant has fallen through the stage floor, Ostrich has stuck his head in the hole, Monkey is a mess of banana-cream-pie, Puppy has an accident due to stage fright, and the rest of the animals are asleep.

I think this book will be fun to share at school. I think I'll be wanting to purchase my own copy before the next Groundhog's Day rolls around.

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford, Ekua Holmes (Illustrations)    This book was beautiful and awesome. I've wanted to read it for a while. And when I heard that it had won a Caldecott Honor, I was thrilled that it was also available at my library. Carole Boston Weatherford and Ekua Holmes tell such an important story through stunning illustrations and verse. While telling the painful stories of racism and injustice, it also tells of a woman who never gave up or gave in to the voices telling her "no" throughout her life. I really want to share this story with my students, and I definitely want to get my own copy of the book to place in my classroom library permanently. While I've read quite a bit of literature about the Civil Rights Era, I learned A LOT from this book.

Where Are My Books? by Debbie Ridpath Ohi   For those that love their books, and take great care of them (as all BookNerds do), this book will really speak to your heart! Spencer loves his books, especially "Night-Night, Narwhal". He reads it at bedtime every night and puts it in the same place on the shelf so he can always find it. But one day it turns up missing! As more and more of his books disappear, he has to come up with a plan to figure out what's happening.

I love Debbie Ridpath Ohi's illustrations. She does a great job of portraying emotions and reactions through facial expressions and gestures. I also love seeing cameos from "Naked!" and "I'm Bored!" - a poster on Spencer's wall of the little girl and potato, dolls of the little girl and potato at the little girl's tea party, and opened copies of both books lying on the ground with the rest of his books!

I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black, Debbie Ridpath Ohi (Illustrator)  This book was so much fun! Kids are always complaining about being bored. Sometimes they don't realize how boring THEY are when they sit around complaining about being bored. Suddenly the bored little girl is challenged by a potato who says that since she's not a flamingo, she's boring. Challenged by this, the little girl sets out to prove that she's not boring.

Debbie Ridpath Ohi's illustrations are awesome! My favorite is the two-page spread of the little girl turning cartwheels, skipping, and spinning around until she gets so dizzy she almost throws up.

Naked! by Michael Ian Black, Debbie Ridpath Ohi (Illustrator)  This book is just so fun and funny! We had a lot of laughs with this book in our house. The little boy just loves to be naked, and not just in the bathtub. He loves to run through the house naked, slide down the stairs naked, and eat cookies naked. Until he finds a cape. And then he loves running around the house wearing his cape, and nothing else!

The illustrations are just awesome. Let me start by saying that Debbie Ridpath Ohi, has really done a wonderful job capturing the humor of this situation, while at the same time remaining appropriate and tasteful. The little boy is drawn from the side or in shadow or from the shoulders up, so that we don't have worry about young children seeing any of the naughty bits.

Among my favorite illustrations: When the little boy is running down the stairs, all of the portraits on the wall are shocked with wide open mouths and the father is shielding the baby brother like he's about to be harmed by his brother's nudity. I also love the double page spread of the boy doing the Hokey Pokey naked! I'm not sure that I want to have this book in my classroom library, but it's definitely a lot of fun and younger children would love it!

The Library by Sarah Stewart, David Small (Illustrator)   If you love libraries, books and reading (and what BookNerd doesn't?!), then this book will absolutely grab a hold of your heart. The Library tells the story of Elizabeth Brown, who instead of playing with dolls or skating, only likes to read books. One of my favorite illustrations in the book shows a young girl perched on the rail of her front porch with a parasol in one hand reading a book while the neighborhood children play out in the street.

When Elizabeth goes off to boarding school, she hauls a steamer trunk full of books with her. She has so many books, the top bunk in her dorm room collapses under the weight of them all. She spends her evenings reading books instead of going out on dates.

When she buys her home, she very quickly fills it to the rafters with books she has purchased. There comes a point when she has to face the fact that there are just too many books: "When volumes climbed the parlor walls, And blocked the big front door, She had to face the awful fact She could not have one more." The double page spread illustration shows Elizabeth sitting in the middle of mountains of books, which brings to mind a scene from the TV show, "Hoarders".

Eventually she turns her house into a library for the town. She moves in with a friend and spends the rest of her days enjoying books. This is a lovely book and one that I really need to purchase. Unfortunately I have to return this copy of The Library to the library!

The Hueys in the New Sweater by Oliver Jeffers  I really enjoyed this cute picture book. The characters in the story are these odd little creatures called Hueys. They all look the same, act the same and do the same things. But then one day, Rupert knitted a sweater, which created quite a stir and a lot of controversy. Until folks started to knit sweaters just like Rupert's, so they could be different too. The illustrations are simple drawings of creatures that kind of look like eggs. The only color in the drawings are the sweaters. I love the message Oliver Jeffers shares with us of the importance of being yourself instead of doing what everyone else is doing.

Dream Animals: A Bedtime Journey by Emily Winfield Martin   This is a lovely book for children to enjoy at bedtime. The rhyming text and beautiful illustrations tell readers about the different animals that carry children off to dreamland. Rabbits, bears, red foxes, robins are a few of the feathered, furred, or finned creatures that you can snuggle in with to find yourself in beautiful dreams.

 

 

Give and Take by Chris Raschka  This is an interesting story about a farmer who learns about decision-making from Give and Take. The apple farmer meets Take on the first day that he goes to pick apples. He listens to Take and follows his advice and winds up exhausted with gallons and gallons of pumpkin soup that nobody likes. The next day he meets Give and takes his advice. That doesn't work out so well either, as he winds up with an empty basket and an empty head. When he listens to both Give and Take, he learns the benefits of balance in his decision-making process.

The illustrations are interesting, but rough. It makes the story interesting, but for younger readers it might be a bit confusing. This book could lead to interesting discussions about greed, generosity, making good judgments and decision-making.

 

 

 

 

 Bear Is Not Tired by Ciara Gavin  For anyone that's ever struggled to stay awake, this book will definitely be a big hit. Bear has such a close relationship with the Duck family with whom he lives. They do everything together. He even frequently forgets that he's not a duck himself. Until winter starts to come and he starts to get very, very sleepy. It's time for him to hibernate, but he doesn't want to miss out on all the fun the Duck family will have during the cold, winter months. So, he decides that he's going to stay awake.

The illustrations in this book are just adorable. My favorites are the paintings of the ducks trying to help keep Bear awake: trying to hold his eyelids open and playing musical instruments loudly. I also love the pictures of the Bear once he falls asleep.

This would be a great bedtime book, as the illustrations of the sleepy bear inspire sleepiness! In fact, I'm starting to feel like I could use a nap!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Book Review: Tru and Nelle by G. Neri

 

Tru and Nelle by G. Neri 

 

 

I had the opportunity to read a digital-ARC of this book from NetGalley. It truly was a joy to read and I think this will be a very popular book this year. I was initially drawn to this title because of its description: a fictionalized account of Truman Capote's and Harper Lee's friendship during their childhood.

 

As children, these two famous writers lived next door to each other in Monroeville, Alabama . The story opens in 1930, at the beginning of the Great Depression, when Tru is seven and Nelle is six. These two are as different from each other as they could possibly be: Tru dresses in fancy outfits and is very delicate and Nelle is a tomboy who wears overalls and is very outspoken. But it is because of their differences that they become close friends; they are the only ones that understand and appreciate their unique qualities.

 

The character development in this book is awesome. G. Neri was able to take all that he learned from his research into the lives and works of these legendary writers and capture the most endearing and relatable qualities of these youngsters. Children reading this will be able to understand and appreciate these personalities as they just relax and enjoy the episodes in their story. Readers are able to follow a year in their lives as they splash around in the local swimming hole, curl up in their tree house and read Sherlock Holmes mysteries, and run around town playing detective to solve a break-in at the local drugstore. 

 

The more time that these two characters spend together, the more they grow to care for each other. One of my favorite lines from the book is when Tru tells Nelle: "You and me, we're...apart from everybody else. Nobody gets me like you do."

 

Because the story is set in the Deep South during the Depression, the book also takes a hard look at the racial prejudice that was prevalent then. Tru and Nelle confront bigotry courageously as they stand up for their friend, Edison, when the local boys try to chase him away from the swimming hole because he is black. During their search for clues to find the culprit in a drugstore theft, they find themselves face-to-face with the local Ku Klux Klan in a frightening scene of cross burning and a chase. The confrontation with the KKK comes to a dramatic climax when Tru hosts a party and invites everyone, no matter what race they are.

 

The style of this book makes it so appealing to me. Neri very effectively captures the mood and feel of growing up in the South during the 1930s. Because it was the Depression, people didn't have a lot of money and children didn't have many fancy toys or entertainment. Tru and Nelle used their imagination to make their own entertainment, which makes the plot events of this book so much fun to read. And many of the scenes in the book actually remind me of the work of F. Scott Fitzgerald, a writer of the times in which this book is set.

 

This book also makes me want to know more about Truman Capote and Nelle Harper Lee. I've read Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, but I've never read any of Capote's work (although I have seen the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's a number of times). I didn't even realize that these two writers were friends as children. Now I want to check out Capote's In Cold Blood sometime. I love it when one book makes me want to learn more and read more.

 

I'll definitely want to have this book as part of my classroom library. Hopefully it'll spark the interest in my students to read more and write more. As the characters in the story receive an old typewriter and start writing stories, this could also be a terrific mentor text for budding young mystery writers.

 

Hardcover, 336 pages

 

Expected publication: March 1st 2016 by HMH Books for Young Readers 

It's Monday What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey as a way to share what you have read and/or reviewed in the past week. It's also a terrific way to find out what other people are reading.

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers have given this meme a children's literature focus: picture books, middle grade novels, etc. They "encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting the other bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

We're deep into January! Brrrrr! It's too cold to go out, unless I absolutely have to. While everyone else is watching football playoffs, I'm spending my time cooking and getting caught up on picture books that have been on my Want To Read list for a long time. Now that these books have been around for a while, they're usually easy to get from my public library. Hope that you're staying warm and safe. Thankfully, the big snowstorm missed my community! But I know there are millions of people that are snowed in.

On a Slippery Slope by Melody Fitzpatrick  I had the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley. I think that this book would be pretty popular in my fifth grade classroom. Many of my students really enjoy stories about middle school drama, and this book has plenty of that. This book reminds me a lot of Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renee Russell only without the illustrations.

Hannah Smart is starting her first day of middle school in her new town of Maple Ridge. That's stressful enough, especially since many of the kids aren't very nice to her. Hannah's next-door-neighbor and new best friend, Gabby and her super cute brother, A.J., convince her to join the middle school ski and snowboarding club. Because Hannah moved to Maple Ridge from Vermont, everyone assumes she's a skier. Hannah is afraid to let on that she's never skied before, because she's afraid no one will like her.

As this misunderstanding begins to snowball out of control, Hannah takes on a job at the local television station where her father is the new weather reporter. Because Hannah is very clever and resourceful, she winds up with her own on-air weekly segment on the evening news.

As the date of the club's ski trip approaches, Hannah is going to have to either learn how to ski like a pro or come clean to everyone that she doesn't really know how to ski. Along the way, there are all sorts of funny moments of middle school drama that really make this book a lot of fun to read.

For my complete review, please visit my blogpost: http://www.janatheteacher.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-review-on-slippery-slope-by-melody.html

The Angry Little Puffin by Timothy Young    This is a cute, funny book about a misunderstood puffin. He shares the same exhibit space as a group of penguins, so people assume that he's some sort of penguin. All day long he hears people calling him a funny-looking penguin. And just like the child whose been called by the wrong name one too many times, he has a bit of a meltdown.

My favorite line during his rant: "I don't know why penguins get all the attention...toys, movies, television...even comic books. It's penguins, penguins, penguins! C'mon, THE PUFFIN would be the coolest guy in any comic book!"

The humorous illustrations greet you at the endpapers, with a series of smaller drawings of the puffin having his tantrum. The colorful drawings support the text well.

This would be a fun book to share with kids as way to talk about tantrums, patience and kindness.

Mocha Dick: The Legend and Fury by Brian Heinz, Randall Enos (Illustrations)   Fans of Moby Dick by Herman Melville will be interested in this nonfiction picture book about the giant whale that was the inspiration for that novel. Over decades, whalers tried to capture him unsuccessfully. The book details attacks by the whale who seemed to be retaliating against the hunters.

Round is a Tortilla by by Roseanne Thong, John Parra (Illustrations)  I really enjoyed this concept book, because it's not just for young children. Ostensibly a book of shapes, it shares with so many words and ideas from Hispanic culture. The author has included so much information about the Spanish language, food, and leisure activities that I learned quite a bit from this book.

John Parra's illustrations are so colorful and rich. I just want to climb into each picture and hang around eating and enjoying the fun.

There is a glossary at the end to explain each term in detail. I wish that the author had included pronunciation keys along with the definitions.

Green Is a Chile Pepper: A Book of Colors by Roseanne Thong, John Parra (Illustrations) 
Just like Round Is a Tortilla, Green Is a Chile Pepper is a concept book about colors. But once again, it's also a book that shows us a lot about Hispanic culture - food, family, holidays. While young children can learn about the colors, there's a lot for everyone to learn.

John Parra's illustrations are rich and colorful. The details are delicious and I find myself looking at all that's going on in the pictures over and over again.

Park Scientists: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzly Bears in America's Own Backyard (Scientists in the Field) by Mary Kay Carson, Tom Uhlman (Illustrations)  Motivated by the bitterly cold, winter weather that has settled into my area, I picked this book up to think about fun places to see during summer vacation. This book does an awesome job drawing the reader in to three awesome parks - Yellowstone National Park, Saguaro National Park, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The book is separated into three sections by park, and each section has two chapters that give details and super photographs of the work that scientists and volunteers are doing to study and protect the natural wonders and wildlife in these protected areas.

We learn about the geysers and grizzly bears in Yellowstone, gila monsters and cacti in Saguaro, and salamanders and fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. All three of these parks have scientists, ecologists, and tourists who are working together to learn all they can about how to preserve these beautiful places for animals and people to enjoy for years to come. After reading it, I'm inspired to travel to these parks and others like it to see what I can learn and what I can do to help.

Picture Day Perfection by Deborah Diesen, Dan Santat (Illustrations)  This book is a lot of fun to read. It reminds me of some of the awful school pictures I had taken through the years. Although, I was always trying to have my pictures turn out all right. Even as I've gotten older (teachers still have to have their pictures taken), it seems the harder I try to look good, the worse it comes out.

Dan Santat's illustrations are terrific. The endpapers are yearbook style portraits with one frame in the back for the reader to insert a favorite school picture. Although the copy I'm reading is borrowed from the library and you can't really get to the picture frame.

As the day goes along for the boy in this story, the chances of a nice looking picture are getting more and more remote. His hair is messy, his shirt is wrinkled and dirty, he makes a mess in Art class, and he has a nasty scowl on his face. Read on to see how his best laid plans play out.

The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark by by Deborah Diesen, Dan Hanna (Illustrations)

This is a sweet story about Mr. Fish helping out a friend. Our favorite Pout-Pout fish is back in another story. His friend, Ms. Clam, yawned and lost her pearl. It fell down into the deep, dark part of the ocean. Mr. Fish promises to go and find it for her, but as he goes deeper and the water gets darker, he gets more and more frightened of the dark.

This illustrations are terrific. The colorful detail shows all of Mr. Fish's friends and neighbors hanging out on underwater cliffs trying to help and encourage him. When he finally gets help from Miss Shimmer, he becomes brave because he has a friend and they can work together. This book has a really great message for kids about helping each other face
difficult and scary times.

The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School by Deborah Diesen, Dan Hanna (Illustrations)  This is another fun book in Deborah Diesen's Pout-Pout Fish series. In rhyming text, Mr. Fish recalls his first day of school. He remembers how all the other fish seemed to know how to write, make shapes and do math. He was so intimidated because he couldn't do these things. He was ready to quit and then his teacher found him. She guided him to the right class and everything turned out all right. This is a sweet book for kids who are just starting school and might be a bit nervous.

The illustrations are very detailed and colorful. There's quite a bit of humor in them as well. I love the posters on the walls of the classroom and halls. There are quotes from Shark Twain ("Fish aren't slimy, they just ooze personality.") and Sharkespeare ("A fish by any other name, would smell as fishy."). There posters of Great Artists like Michelanjellyo, Leonard Da Pinchy, and Vincent Van Goby.
This book is fun for everyone.

The Letter Home by Timothy Decker While this touching book has spare text and black-and-white drawings, it tells its story beautifully. A medic is writing a letter to his son back home during World War I. The drawings work to show the bleakness of war, not necessarily the violence of war, but it definitely is a contrast to the glamorization of war.

Among my favorite lines: "We must have looked like schoolboys playing in the mud. But we didn't really play much. We just read letters, looked at our watches, slept when we could for as long as we could with our heads down and our ears open."

Among the lighter moments: "Hendricks found a woman's coat. We all laughed at him. We said that he must have just arrived from Paris. He said that it kept him warm."

This would be good to share with students as an opening to further study about war.

Daisy Saves the Day by Shirley Hughes This is a nice historical fiction picture book that shows a bit of what life in England at the beginning of the twentieth century was like. A poor girl has to leave school and home to become a live-in scullery maid for a couple of old ladies. She works really hard scrubbing floors, washing dishes, scouring pots and pans, doing laundry, hauling in coal for the fire, etc.

The only real joy she finds in her circumstances is the little bit of time she finds to read books in her little attic bedroom. The old ladies and the other two servants aren't all that nice to her. And they become even meaner when she embarrasses them by hanging their bloomers outside as part of a decoration for a royal coronation parade.

She saves the house from disaster when she helps put out a fire in the kitchen. And she is rewarded for her bravery.

I like that the book features a young lady who loves to read. School is very important to her and I think that's a nice message for kids to read.

 

 

Book Review: On a Slippery Slope by Melody Fitzpatrick

On a Slippery Slope by Melody Fitzpatrick

 

 

I had the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley. I think that this book would be pretty popular in my fifth grade classroom. Many of my students really enjoy stories about middle school drama, and this book has plenty of that. This book reminds me a lot of Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renee Russell only without the illustrations.

 

Hannah Smart is starting her first day of middle school in her new town of Maple Ridge. That's stressful enough, especially since many of the kids aren't very nice to her. Hannah's next-door-neighbor and new best friend, Gabby and her super cute brother, A.J., convince her to join the middle school ski and snowboarding club. Because Hannah moved to Maple Ridge from Vermont, everyone assumes she's a skier. Hannah is afraid to let on that she's never skied before, because she's afraid no one will like her.

 

As this misunderstanding begins to snowball out of control, Hannah takes on a job at the local television station where her father is the new weather reporter. Because Hannah is very clever and resourceful, she winds up with her own on-air weekly segment on the evening news.

 

As the date of the club's ski trip approaches, Hannah is going to have to either learn how to ski like a pro or come clean to everyone that she doesn't really know how to ski. Along the way, there are all sorts of funny moments of middle school drama that really make this book a lot of fun to read.

 

The characters in this book seem to be taken right from the hallways of your local middle school. Melody Fitzpatrick has really captured the way that kids in this age group interact with each other. Many of my favorite parts of the book come from Hannah's inner-monologue as she deals with the anxiety of riding a school bus with kids who are bullies, shopping for ski gear when she has no idea what kind of equipment she needs, and trying to manage her new television career.

 

I think kids will be able to relate to much of Hannah's stress. But at the same time, she's a fun heroine. Much like Nikki Maxwell of the Dork Diaries book, she's adventurous and spirited, but flawed and a bit clumsy. Because she's not perfect, the reader can't really be certain that everything is going to turn out all right, but we can definitely root for her.

 

I also think that the book has some positive messages for kids that are on the brink of growing up. Books that encourage young people to be true to themselves and others are important. Kids have a lot of pressure to go with the crowd and not be themselves. It's great to see a character learn lessons about how to do that while still be fun and funny.

 

Paperback, 112 pages

Expected publication: April 9th 2016 by Dundurn Press