1. I wish this could have been titles The Button War but Avi snagged that. 2. This is the strongest book by Clements I have read in a while - I really liked it.
When Grace went to visit her grandfather over the summer they visited many places but their visit to the old mill he had just bought was really cool. While there Grace found boxes of buttons. Her grandfather agreed to ship them to her - a whole pallet. Soon after she got them she took some to show at school and realized that they weren't all just gray plain buttons but there were all shapes, sizes, and ages. When she decides to give some away at lunch she unknowingly starts a fad. While cool at first after a while it threatens her friendship with Ellie and could even get her in trouble.
A great middle school read.
It's bad enough living in a family of 4 girls in a small apartment but when Ana Maria finds out her mother is pregnant again she is really upset. Why do they need another child when she doesn't get enough attention as it is? No one seems to care about her piano playing or her wish to get a scholarship to a private school. The only one who seems to understand her is her aunt but when the family goes to the Dominican Republic for her aunt's wedding Ana Maria learns some things about her aunt that she doesn't like. Can Ana Maria find her own way and learn to appreciate the family she has?
For the bulk of the book I really didn't like Ana Maria at all - maybe it was realistic but she was very selfish and jealous of everyone around her. In the end the book was pretty good though...
Margarita's family is finally going to be reunited. Her older brother and Papa moved to Wyoming to work on the railroad and the rest of them are moving up from New Mexico to join them. Things are still tough - they need to send money back to their abuelita and they need to watch their money but they are lucky to have jobs during the tough Depression years. But Margarita is struggling to fit in. Not everyone likes having hispanic people around - especially when they think they aren't Americans. She also has trouble with her new friend. Can she and her family prove that they belong?
This had just the right amount of historical context and a good feel for what life would have been like for those of hispanic descent during that time - especially surrounding the history of New Mexico. Good friendship themes as well in this.
With the popularity of the I Survived series this series is sure to please as well. This book takes place during the Chicago Fire and features Emmi and a set of twins who are trying to survive after all getting separated from their parents. This is good for the 3rd - 4th grade kiddos - not too long, action packed, and historical.
This was a fun book about Anna Strong and the role it is believed she played in the Culper Spy Ring during the Revolutionary War. I think this would be great for students studying the Revolutionary War. What I also liked was the secret message hidden in the text - a fun addition.
After the dingle dangle other sprites in her village burned down her house Shade decides to search out a new place to live - a place with books, or a library where she could work. Along the way she meets a host of quirky companions and has loads of adventures.
I enjoyed this book - quirky, adventurous, and funny.
Gordy is a talented elixirist which is rare for someone so young. But his mother is also very talented and as Gordy comes to learn, his grandfather was one of the best. Unfortunately his grandfather became obsessed with power and tried to overthrow the society of elixirists called BREW and also developed the Eternity Elixir. His grandfather is now banished and the elixir was hidden. But then someone discovered where it was so Gordy's aunt sent it to Gordy's mom to keep it safe. But Gordy's mom was gone when it arrived and Gordy opened it by mistake. Now people are after not only the elixir but Gordy and his friends as well. Can Gordy keep it out of the wrong hands?
I liked this fantasy - rare for me. It did leave room for a sequel (coming soon) but ended decently.
The cover of this book makes it seem much younger than it actually is which is unfortunate... I loved this book - the adventure, friendship, time travel, history...
The story begins in the present with best friends Sophie and Stu playing their Camelot Code video game with an online friend. They are about to defeat Morgana. But their friendship is a bit strained lately...
Meanwhile, in Camelot Arthur and his best friend Guin dream of a future where they could change the world if they weren't bound by class and rules. But when Guin accidentally loses a scabbard down a well, Arthur goes after it not realizing that the well is a portal which takes him to the present.
And so, the lives of the 4 intersect. Arthur, who learns of his fate on Google, doesn't want to go back and Stu takes his place temporarily. But things start going wrong - can the 4 of them make things right?
Lots of fun...
Sometimes I wonder why I even read fantasy... there are some notable exceptions and I love the subgenres of Dystopian and Science Fiction for the most part... but straight fantasy I have a heard time with.
This was no exception unfortunately. If the world building and conflict don't engage me quickly I slog through. For me this was a struggle. The reader doesn't even hear the name Thorn Queen til almost halfway through. There are some good characters but some of the secondary characters - that the main character is supposedly really close to - are barely mentioned. There isn't even of the conflict til the very end and then there is room for a sequel. Didn't work for me.
For some reasons things land on Robyn's roof - frisbees, laundry, a parachutist. It's no wonder Robyn is afraid that the satellite crashing to earth is going to land on her roof too. So now more than ever, since she may die when the satellite hits, she wants to find her dad. Can she and her best friend figure out who her dad is in time? Will the satellite actually hit her house?
This was a bit quirky. Wasn't my favorite to be honest but I can picture some students to hand it to.
This is one of those books that I am glad I read because it was about a person I had never heard of and it sheds a hopeful light on humanity. It tells the story, through journals and letters mainly, of Captain Wilm Hosenfeld who, although he was a German officer, managed to rescue many Polish and Jewish people during World War II. Too many times we classify us and them and miss some of the stories of people who went against the grain.
There was a lot going on in this book - up until the last chapter really I felt like there were all these threads that didn't really seem to work together.
Frankie lives at a B&B with her dad and Gram. But the B&B is losing business. Why? So there is a mystery and also a bit of a potential ghost story. Then there is also Frankie's quest to hook her dad up with someone new - but she later finds out he's actually dating someone she knows. Not enough here... not enough relationship... Then there is some former best friend, project partner thing going on. Oh and Gram is a hoarder.
I think there was just too much and not enough depth on any of it.
This was a solid middle grade novel about the friendship of two very different girls, an old man who worked at the estates where one of the girls lived, and a dog who brought them all together.
Nothing overly flashy but a good read...
I am still trying to process how I feel about this...
Edgar and his mom move around a lot. His mom smokes, drinks, loses jobs frequently, and goes through a lot of boyfriends. Their latest move has taken them from Toronto to the Yukon where they will housesit and take care of a dog named Benjamin. Almost immediately Edgar's mom is on the prowl. She pursues a man who picked them up at the airport and is the father of Edgar's new friend. Oh, and he also has a girlfriend. Edgar knows disaster is coming and tries to prevent it but the stress or something causes him to start barking instead of speaking and he can understand the dog as well. Can Edgar keep things from getting out of hand.
I know, unfortunately, that kids may be able to relate to this really unstable environment but there was a lot of talk about the mom's affair and what was happening as well as experimentation going on between Edgar and the girl he meets. To me it was a bit much.
Lu's school is newly integrated and it is causing problems. The white kids side on one side and the black kids sit on the other. Latinos like Lu sit in the middle. But where does she really belong. Her white friends want her to stay away from the black kids, they want her to attend a political rally for Wallace, and they want her to blend in like a good girl. But Lu likes her new friends and she is discovering that she likes to run.
There were some typical themes and ideas here but the setting was good and the featuring of a Latino character was a nice addition. I enjoyed this.
Devin is convinced that if he can hit it big - a viral video, tons of Twitter followers, something - then his father will get better and his family's troubles will be over. But he needs Addison's help to pull it off. How far will Addison go to help his friend?
This was a fun story and had a good message about friendship.
G-baby and her younger sister Peaches are trying to get used to their new life. Mom has remarried and they now have a stepsister that G-baby especially would like to get to know better. She would also love it if her dad and stepmother would get along with everyone else. Of course their is typical middle school drama but when Peaches gets sick the day G-baby snuck out of the house everything crashes down. Will Peaches get better and can things ever be normal again?
This was a solid selection and I liked the diversity in it.
Will never planned on becoming known as the Bug Boy but during a stinkbug infestation in the library he accidentally on purpose ate one to divert attention from a racial incident going down between one of his friends and a new student. That incident led Will down the road of figuring out who his real friends were but even more importantly exploring entomophagy which is when bugs are eaten as food.
This wasn't bad. I liked the boy drama instead of girl drama, the wrestling, and the exposure to bugs as food.
I gotta say, I was not a fan of this. I listened to it on audio and was struck by the flat dialogue - so much I said then he said then he said. I may not have noticed it as much if I had read it. Overall too it was just disturbing and sad. Not my favorite book by Avi.
June loves to read, loves the library, loves the librarian. But when a controversial book and author visit gets shut down by the local Parent organization it sets in motion the censorship and removal of hundreds of books and harsh consequences for reading them (A bit over the top...). June and her classmates decide to go underground and with the help of a local Little Free Library they start a secret library in the school.
This grew on me but I did feel that the parents were very ridiculous. I also found this book very similar to Ban This Book by Gratz.
Since the death of Ethan's mother his dad, a graphic novelist has been stuck. One night a ink spot escapes from his father's sketchbook. Soon Ethan discovers that Inkling can eat or absorbs text and images and learn from it and then create amazing work. At first Inkling helps Ethan with an assignment he has but when his dad learns about Inkling he uses him to help him out of his slump. But should Inkling be forced to help - what are the rules for ink? Then a rival classmate and her ambitious father discover Inkling's talents and steal him. Can Ethan and his dad not only rescue Inkling but save their family as well.
Good action and some moral dilemmas. There was enough action and danger to satisfy readers without going overboard. I loved this book.
Allie and her mom have just moved to town. Since the death of her brother things have been rough and now her parents have split up. But, on her first day Allie meets Sam and instantly feels a connection. But is the connection more than friendship?
Sam knows she is gay but also knows that her family, her church, and most of the people around her will disapprove. This is even more apparent when 2 teachers at school are pretty much forced out because of their relationship.
What are Allie and Sam supposed to do with their feelings. This was a good look at what it was like in the late 1970s for middle schoolers exploring their sexuality. I appreciated the fact that although Sam's church was against it the book did not dwell too much on that or become overly critical of the religious aspect.
This is one of those people that you have probably heard of vaguely but didn't really know anything about. This short nonfiction book talks about Black Bart's life, his robberies, and even more importantly the behind the scenes work of capturing him. I liked the parallel discussions of Bart and the Wells Fargo detective who led the investigations. I liked this one.
I do not like the cover - it didn't appeal to me at all and I am guessing some kids may be meh.... but
The book itself was quite good. Mickey and Lev are both wrestlers. Mickey's family wrestles and she started mainly as a way to get her dad's attention but now she loves it. Problem is - her brother's former coach won't take her because she's a girl so she ends up on a different team.
Lev is on the other team and is asked to pair up with Mickey. He doesn't like it at first but they become friends along the way.
But when things get rough Lev isn't sure he has what it takes to keep wrestling. Can they both find what they need from wrestling, from each other, and from others?
I liked this way more than I thought I would!
This is a companion book to the author's Adrift at Sea which tells the journey of a Vietnamese family and mentions the girl they left behind with her grandmother. This is the story of the girl and what her life was like while waiting for her family to be reunited. This was very interesting.
Annie B loves to invent things and create commercials for her inventions. When auditions come up for a spokesperson in a web show she is really excited. But then, her best friend gets the part instead and Annie is upset. It seems like Savannah always gets the prizes, the parts, the awards and Annie gets nothing. To make it worse, Savannah is starting to hang out with someone else. Can Annie fix their friendship and find her own place to shine?
This was a solid middle grade novel.
Ever since the death of her father Cora's little family has been floundering. Her mom is trying to find good work and Cora is picking up the slack by caring for her sister Adare who was brain damaged at birth. Things have gotten worse to the point that they are now homeless. Through it all Cora is holding on to her father's memory and his love of trees. When she finds a tree that was special to her father it helps lead to some closure but also some trouble as well.
This was a pretty solid book about clinging to what's important.
This was a nice, concise collection of the state fossils. Each page had photos, identifying scientific information, and a brief description of why the fossil was important to the state. For young scientist this will be a nice browsing book or introduction to fossils. It could also accompany state report resources.
