Denis died when he was 7 - he disappeared from an amusement park and was found three days later. It has never been solved.
Denis has been in Port Haven where the dead wait until all memory of them is gone and then they move on. He remembers nothing because the memories of the end of your life disappear first. But, while most of the dead don't age, Denis has aged along with his twin brother Matt who keeps remembering him and imagines he growing up with him.
Unfortunately, Matt is also now thinking more about Denis' unsolved death which cause Denis distress as well. Finally Denis sees no alternative but to return and "haunt" his brother to try and solve the mystery around his death.
But there are a lot of secrets being kept and unanswered questions. Can Matt and Denis figure things out and bring peace to the family?
This book gave a very thorough account of the Spanish Influenza which was historically second only to the Black Death and which was more deadly than WWI. This history of the war and how it influenced and impacted the spread of the virus was very interesting. So too, it the collective memory loss of this event over the years. I did find that some of the historical chapters seemed a bit disorganized or redundant - especially the chapter dealing with the end of the war, peace, and Wilson. It was a good book though with good information.
Dragons are all around us - but we don't see them because we are too busy and we don't expect to.
Grisha the dragon has had an interesting life - if you can call 60 years as a teapot interesting. When that spell was finally broken he started life in Vienna where the remaining dragons lived restricted lives and some dragons were under a sleeping spell.
Then along comes Maggie - one of the few who can see dragons. Together she and Grisha set out to wake the sleeping dragons and forge a wonderful friendship.
The story unfolds slowly but there is some great sentence level writing and it is a poignant story of friendship.
Alex is sick and tired of being teased about his love of scary things. So he decides to get rid of all his writing once and for all. But on his way to the basement incinerator he is lured to an apartment by the dialogue from his favorite horror movie. Then he finds himself trapped in a magical apartment by a witch. The only way he can stay alive is by appeasing her and the apartment with his scary stories.
Is there any way that he and the girl Yasmin who is also trapped can escape?
This book had good creep factor which readers love. It also had Alex's short stories which were creepy as well.
This book highlights 12 "thieves" who changed the course of history. I would say about 1/2 are people kids may have heard of and not realized were thieves - Queen Elizabeth I and Thomas Edison - and others are spies, art thieves. This was good information, short narratives, funny pictures.
Nice friendship poems for the younger grades.
A masterpiece of affirmation.
Aran belongs with the Selkies and someday he will turn. It just hasn't happened yet... But any day now the Moon will call to him, his fingers will start to web, and he will finally have his pelt. He will finally be able to swim and keep up with the rest of his clan when they are in seal form. He won't hold them back, he won't hold his mom back.
But then he finds out that he isn't a full Selkie. His dad was human. Which means... he may never change. Eventually his mother and the rest of the clan decide to go far north to some ancient Selkies to see if they can find a way for him to turn. But to do that his mom decides to leave him with a human woman. How can he survive in that strange environment? Will he ever get his pelt and be who he lngs to be?
This one was surprisingly good. Aran really struggled with his identity. There was good action and good relationships. An interesting read.
With renewed interest in Barnum after the Greatest Showman it isn't surprising that those who fell into his circle or performers would also be getting a fresh look. I had heard of "Tom Thumb" and a bit about Lavinia but most of the information in this book was new to me. The chapters were short and engaging, there was historical context, and the photographs added personality. Well done.
Is there anything Kwame Alexander can't do? I really enjoyed this book just as much as Crossover!! Well done - I don't think this will stay on the shelves.
I do not know how books have been written about Anne Frank. What can a new text bring to the table? I like the cover of this book, I liked the photographs and the layout. There were tidbits of information that either I didn't know or didn't remember. If a librarian or teacher is looking to replace a text about Anne Frank with something newer or fresher than this would fit the bill or if there is a lot of interest in Anne Frank.
I enjoyed the author's book Click Here to Start and helped get it on the Maine Student Book Award list so I knew I was in for a nerdy treat with this one.
In this book RBG and his friends play a Dungeons and Dragons type game called Reign of Dragons. But they have seemed to be growing apart with middle school and new interests, especially when their game master leaves for graduate school. While they all agree to share the role of game master it just isn't the same. RBG tries desperately to get his friends to finish their quest but it isn't until he receives a mysterious gold die that things get weird. While playing with the die...their characters suddenly appear in real life.
Honestly, this happens about 1/2 way through the book and that is when it really starts to get good. I thoroughly enjoyed the action after that - the characters, their interactions, the adventure. I hope readers will stick with the book long enough to get there because for gaming students this will be a treat.
Avery's plans for the summer were to attend soccer camp and hang out with her friends. She does not want to go to Spain with her dad and especially not with some girl she knew when she was younger. What is her dad thinking?
Kayla is a bit unsure about traveling to Spain with a family she really hasn't spent much time with. But it is an opportunity too good to pass up.
Avery and Kayla do not get along at all - but when secret that ties their families together comes to light the girls' lives are changed forever.
I usually love Haddix's work but this one didn't really grab me. At 400 pages it was quite long. The "secret" didn't come out til about 1/2 way through. I felt like the last 75 pages were good.
Before I was on the MSBA committee I was a new librarian. As a teacher I worked in a district that didn't participate in MSBA so when I got to my new school I was thrilled. My first or second year as a librarian I read Is it Night or Day by Fern Schumer Chapman which was on the list.
This book tells more of Gerda's story and how she got to America and what happened afterward. It is a beautiful telling and in light of continued immigration issues a timely book.
It makes me what to read the authors other work of how Edith and Gerda reunited - sadly it is not available on Titlewave but is on Amazon!!
Based on the author's real life experiences this graphic novel follows Vera's experiences at a 4 week summer camp for kids of Russian descent. This is really a coming of age book and typical in many ways to middle grade fiction - fitting in, bullying, finding your way. I have heard a variety of reactions to this and felt I should read before I chime in. Some find this the best graphic novel ever - not me. It was ok certainly and a pretty realistic view for some kids. Others have found some of the topics in poor taste or too mature for the target audience. While I do not personally like the teasing - specifically around one boy and an unfortunate bee sting and I also didn't like some underwear that went up a flag pole - I didn't feel they were enough to dismiss the book entirely. I thought the book was okay and for students who like Smile and others by Telgemeier this will be a hit.
Loosely based on the story behind Frankenstein this story is a dark tale of scientific exploration and obsession.
This is primarily the story of Lizzie, a mysterious girl who shows up at the home of Percy Shelley and Mary Goodwin with a harrowing tale of her survival from a lightning strike and her encounter with a scientist intent on exploring the possibilities of using electricity to raise the dead.
I was expecting more of a tie in with Frankenstein or maybe more of Mary Goodwin (Shelley) but even though this is not where the focus of the book was it worked and tied together really well. I think middle grade readers will like the creepiness of the tale and then maybe be inspired to actually read Frankenstein.
I am now working at a junior high library instead of elementary. This graphic novel was in the JLG box. The cover to me looked very young and I think the book itself is pretty young. I will keep it because it was paid for with junior high money and maybe it won't be so obviously young in the next year or so when 5th grade joins us.
Beryl is a neon knight which is pretty much the worst thing in Chasma. She can't catalyze.
Coro is an oxygen knight and is amazing but is kind of a show off.
Together they learn that just catalyzing toys, using them up, and discarding them is not as cool as inventing.
I am assuming there will be more books to this. This was a really quick read and more of an introduction to the world and concept with very little meat.
My students love scary stories - Goosebumps are still popular so this is sure to be a hit. Short stories by a collection of authors. They are deliciously creepy but like many Goosebumps books they don't go too far. This should be a good pick for libraries.
This book is so different from other "Holocaust" books and is just beautiful. It begins at the end of the war with Gerta being liberated from Bergen-Belsen. She is sick, starving, and lost. Before the war she didn't even know she was Jewish and was on her way to becoming an acclaimed singer. Now she has no voice, no identity, no where to belong. Gerta, along with other survivors, must figure out where to go and give herself permission to live, to hope, and to love.
The book is quiet, especially at the beginning as Gerta's history is slowly revealed and as she comes to terms with her new reality. But the hope really shines through. Very well done.
With the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission approaching it is no surprise that I have 2 books about Apollo 8 in my pile. With the knowledge that there is no way we would put both on the MSBA list I have decided to read them back to back.
The title of these gives the reader an idea of the angle. Apollo 8 came at a pivotal time in America. There was the Cold War and Space Race with Russia, Kennedy had set the goal of landing a man on the moon by the end of the 60s, the Vietnam War was going on, not only had JFK been assassinated but in 1968 both Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy had also been assassinated. America was is in need of a boost - hope for the future. Apollo 8 provided that. We were the first to get to the moon.
The book provides a good background of key events and people that got us to 1968 without being too in depth. Then it discussed the mission itself focusing in on the earthrise photograph which impacted many people's perceptions of our planet.
There were some distractions in the book early on. The were several sidebars of information that were plunked in the middle of other text. I had to go forward several pages to continue with the normal text and then go back to read the sidebar information. I do have an ARC so maybe that is fixed in the final copy?
This book was a lot longer and more thorough in some aspects. The book followed the 3 astronauts and the events leading up to and including the flight. It also included more details about other people involved and what was happening at the command center, etc.
For its length though I thought it was lacking in the awe that the other book inspired. The famous photo of Earthrise and repercussions were barely mentioned. For the audience I work with I feel the first title is more accessible and memorable.
Gran is new in town and no one pays any attention to him at all. The only person who briefly acknowledges him is Catalina but when he tries to get to know her she disappears - literally. After more investigation (snooping) he finds out she has a way of opening doors to tunnels underground and soon Gran figures out how to do it as well. It turns out Catalina is a "lifter" - she shores up the underground tunnels caused by the Hollows to prevent the collapse of buildings. But lately the Hollows have been more active. Can Gran and Catalina figure out a way to restore their town?
This got a bit weird for me - the Hollows were this nebulous, cloud like, thinking wind that feed on despair. Didn't really work for me...
This was an interesting concept - a travel guide to the solar system with ideas about how near future technology might make it possible to go anywhere from in orbit to Saturn. The book was full of tidbits about what one might see and experience both during the travel and at the destination. For students who really like space this will be a fun read.
Ever since the explosion years ago the people of Talhaven have been losing magic and have been fearful of the children who were trapped in Talhaven as a result. All Rook and Drift want is to find a way to get back to their homes and also get their memories back. When the meet an adult from their world they think she will help them get back but this woman has other plans. Will Rook and Drift be able to find their way back and will doing so destroy the home they have?
This was a decent fantasy - of course, fantasy isn't always my favorite and this isn't as good as Mark of the Dragonfly in my opinion but it was pretty good.
This book follows the journey of Belle, an osprey who was given a transmitter during her first summer in Massachusetts. Her journey is based on the tracking that was done via the transmitter as she migrated south to Brazil and later returned to Massachusetts. Of course, some of what she encountered is imagined based on other sightings and information about osprey migration.
For bird studies or for students who are interested in the topic this is a solid informational text.
For Anna, conditions in Krakow, Poland in 1936 are getting worse. The threat of war is looming and Hitler's actions and words, especially about the Jews is terrifying. When Anna and her grandmother hear about an opportunity for Jewish musicians to audition and perhaps be chosen for the new orchestra in Palestine, Anna urges her father to audition. But even when the audition goes well there are hurdles - travel documents, going through Germany, and adjusting to life in a new country.
This was a sold addition to Holocaust works. I love when I learn about something new - in this case, about 1000 Jewish people who were rescued by being in this Palestine Orchestra.
When Zach's treasured signed baseball disappears from their classroom, Zach and Zoe team up to solve the mystery.
This was a simple, cute mystery for the younger set. Not complex at all but satisfying for those younger readers who like sports and mysteries. This new series will fit a much needed hole...
I really should just come to the conclusion that graphic novels aren't for me. I love dragons but have never read this series so I thought I would try this version. I think mainly I had trouble distinguishing between the different dragons and I know I read too fast often for a graphic novel. I know my students will like it more than I did.
This was a very powerful memoir of Michael Gruenbaum's experiences during the Holocaust - particularly in Prague and Terezin. I think what made this book more powerful than others I have read recently was the choice to tell in in first person. This really put the voice as a 12 - 17 year old boy going through these experiences not really knowing what was happening or why. Very well done.
Goliath suffers from a form of Muscular Dystrophy and is in a wheelchair. Although there is an experimental treatment available in the US his mom can't afford to travel from Ireland or pay for the treatments. He is progressively getting worse. One day, while at a nearby pool he falls in and is rescued by a boy named Tiny. Tiny is really tall, has webbed hands, and has mental limitations. After being abused by his father Tiny was taken in by a retired sea captain. After the rescue Goliath and Tiny become friends.
Soon after Tiny decides to try and help Goliath by swimming across the Atlantic. He will swim beside the boat, rest at night with the boat stationary, and start agin each day. After convincing Goliath's mom and Karl they set off with a Guinness Book of World Records official. The hope is that the publicity and the record will help bring in money for Goliath's treatment. But the journey is full of danger - illegal whaling ships, storms, the reappearance of Tiny's father who wants to exploit him.
Can Tiny really swim across the ocean and help his friend.
Overall I liked this story of hope and friendship. There were some parts - especially with the whales that delved into the more fantastical but it was a heartwarming tale even though it was pretty implausible.
On the one hand this book is filled with very familiar middle grade tropes - 2 best friends and one suddenly finds herself on the outs while the other becomes popular, cliques, bullying. But this has the unique perspective of being set in 1966 during the Vietnam War and Beatlemania.
Trudy is the president of her school's Beatle's fan club. But seemingly overnight she goes from being moderately popular to a pariah - due in part to her name (Gertrude), the abandonment of other members of the club (particularly her former best friend Michelle), and junior high issues in general. Even her father has become too busy for their shared love of the Beatles. When Trudy learns that the Beatles are coming to Boston she is so excited, especially when her father buys tickets. But plans go awry when her father has to go on business, her mom breaks her leg, and her former best friend isn't even interested. Trudy and the other remaining 3 members decide to go to the concert together, alone, and plot to meet Paul McCartney in person - each hoping that he will help solve some of their issues and fears.
The Beatles tie in is what saved the book from being typical fare and was an interesting, if unrealistic aspect of the book. Will readers appreciate the 60s nostalgia?
Alex is just an apprentice to the librarian and the librarian is old and won't tell him anything. But, one day, Alex finds the librarian dead and he believes it is suspicious. Then he finds out the librarian at the Royal Library has also died and his mentor was supposed to take her place. Alex feels it is the perfect opportunity for him so he pretends to be the librarian. But when he arrives at the castle he finds more intrigue and danger than he expected. The books seem to be alive and after him. But why? What is causing some books to be afraid and others to have a strange mark on them and turn deadly?
I really enjoyed this book. Obviously from a librarian stand point it was cool but also there was a bit of mystery and intrigue. It is the first in a series but stands alone quite well.
Lou lives with her mom and her grandmother. Her extended Filipino family all live nearby. But, her father and his parents have all died. Now she has some land that belonged to them. Land that her father had intended to build a house on. Land that Lou wants to build a tiny house on. But her mom is considering moving to find a better job and the taxes on the land have not been paid and the land may be put up for auction.
Can Lou find a way to save her land and her dreams?
This wasn't a bad book but it wasn't a great one either. I was disappointed in how many times Lou ran off, broke her grounding, etc. Too much. The tiny house
angle was cool but it wasn't enough.
The perspective of this book is what sets it apart but which also may make it confusing for readers.
The reader figures out quickly that Lizzie is recovering from some injury and is telling her story to someone as that person's penance. It is described as a victim statement. Lizzie tells her narrative but then there are often interjections of conversations with or thoughts
about this other person. It isn't until much later in the book that the other person is revealed.
Basically though Lizzie is sent to live with her uncle for the summer while her mother battles cancer. Her mother and uncle are not on speaking terms so there are a lot of secrets and mistrust. Lizzie has a great friend Matias who suffers from dwarfism. One day Matias does not show up at their meeting spot and Lizzie suspects something has happened to him. It isn't until later - after she has searched for him for awhile that she finds out 2 prisoners escaped from a local jail. Everyone assumes Matias was taken by the prisoners to be used for ransom. When Lizzie gets back home she finds out her uncle has also disappeared and again it is felt that he has also been taken by the criminals. Unwisely Lizzie sets out to rescue them.
The format is quite interesting but it is also a bit difficult. Lizzie's actions were pretty unwise. I would love to have others chime in on this book.
