Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan

Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan is about juvenile delinquent, Jake Semple and his experience living with the Applewhite family. Jake has had it rough - his parents are in jail on drug charges, he's been kicked out of nearly every public school in Rhode Island, he'd been accused of burning down the most recent school from which he was expelled, and even his grandfather doesn't want him. That's how he ends up in foster care at the Applewhite's acreage, Wit's End. Every member of the Applewhite family is an artist of some kind, except the middle child, E.D. Her calling in life is organization. She's the only one of the many Applewhites that doesn't accept Jake immediately. She's the only one who cares about his all black clothes, his swearing, his fire-engine red spiky hair, and his bad attitude. Once Jake realizes that those thinks don't get a rise out of anyone anymore, he just sort of loses them. The Applewhite kids are all home-schooled and get to learn by doing what interests them. Jake ends up helping E.D. with her butterfly project, much to the chagrin of them both. Eventually, Jake ends up finding a passion in the arts that he never would have expected, and a love for a family (including a pushy puppy) that he never could have imagined.

First, I have to begin by stating that I have passed up reading this book MANY times purely based on the cover. I should have remembered not to judge a book by its cover, because Surviving the Applewhites was AWESOME! I would love to be a part of the crazy Applewhite family! What a great story.

Dodger and Me by Jordan Sonnenblick

Dodger and Me by Jordan Sonnenblick is about Willie, a 5th grader who has everything going against him... his parents (especially his mom) don't trust him, his best friend moved away, an annoying girl from England keeps hanging around him, and he completely blew one of his team's most important baseball games of the season. Things for Willie can't get much worse, right? WRONG! On his way home one afternoon, he comes across a Happy Meal sack and picks it up - out pops Dodger, a big blue orange Hawaiian shorts wearing chimpanzee with an eye patch, who only Willie can see. Willie thinks Dodger is a genie and will grant him three wishes. Unfortunately, Dodger has some different ways of solving Willie's problems than Willie is ready for. Instead of getting Lizzie to leave him alone, Dodger solves that problem by making Lizzie friends with him! Instead of making Willie a baseball star, Dodger convinces Willie to practice his way - by throwing balls at him to get rid of Willie's 'fear' of the ball! And, to get Willie's mother to trust him, Dodger decides Willie needs to conquer FIRE! They do this by trying to cook a meal for the family, which literally goes up in flames! Just at that point, a strange genie shows up and explains that Dodger is not who he made himself out to be... now what will Willie do? He's in an even bigger mess than ever, and now his best friend, Dodger has been banished, Lizzie won't talk to him, and his kitchen is in shambles, not to mention the biggest baseball game of the season is just days away!

This was a great story! I loved it because it's about a regular kid - he's not great at sports, he's not 'Mr. Popular', and he isn't the smartest kid in school. I saw Jordan Sonnenblick talk about this book at the International Reading Association convention in Minneapolis in May of 2009. He's a great author and a fun speaker! I'm looking forward to reading the sequel to this book, Dodger for President.

Lost at Sea by Jonathan Neale

Lost at Sea by Jonathan Neale is about a vacation gone wrong. Eleven year old Orrie (Orchid), twelve year old Jack (Sky), six year old Andy, their mother and their mother's new boyfriend, Skip all set sail across the Atlantic on Skip's sailboat. During the night, only a few days out, Skip falls overboard, leaving the rest of the family to reach Antigua on their own. Jack and Orrie have to take over because their mother immediately slips back into a severe depression she's suffered with on and off for awhile. She can't even make it to the bathroom by herself, much less take care of the kids! So, Jack and Orrie take turns at the wheel of the boat, while Andy cooks and looks after their mother. Everyone is tired, but mostly OK. They think they can make it the 25 - 30 more days it will take to get to Antigua. The kids passed up their one chance at rescue - an oil tanker - because they were afraid of what would happen to their mother. The oil tanker warned them of a storm that was coming - a really bad one. Jack rushed around the boat, getting it ready for the worst, and that's when he told Orrie that Skip had ruined the motor. They couldn't rely on it at all. They'd have to sail the boat through the storm. When the storm is finally at its worst, it is too much for Orrie and Jack to handle together. Orrie falls and bruises, or even breaks, her ribs! She can't hold the wheel any longer. She, Andy, their mother, and Jack are all huddled together in the small wheel house in despair... will they ever make it to their dad in Antigua, or will they suffer the same fate as Skip?

This was an AWESOME book! It was full of adventure from page one! The story is told in alternating views, from Orrie to Jack. It's a nice way to see the girl's perspective versus the boy's. Needless to say, they have differing ideas about most of the events in the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good adventure!

Mister Boots by Carol Emshwiller

Mister Boots by Carol Emshwiller takes place just before and during the depression. Bobby (Roberta) is 10. She has lived all her life with her mother and sister, Jocelyn. While her sister and mother stay inside and knit all day to earn money, Bobby is free to roam around the California desert where they live. On one such occasion, Bobby meets Mr. Boots. At first, she thinks he's a bum - she finds him beaten, starving, and naked. Later she finds out that amazingly, Mr. Boots is actually a horse! He escaped his harsh life with humans and ended up in the wilderness. Bobby tries to nurse him back to health, bringing him her long-lost father's old clothes, left overs, and keeping him company. Then, the worst happens. Bobby and Jocelyn's mother dies and their father returns. Mr. Lassiter is a famous magician, and, thinking Bobby is a boy, decides to take 'him' performing! Jocelyn and Mr. Boots have become quite close since the death of the girls' mother, and the decide to go, too, to make sure Mr. Lassiter treats Bobby right. Bobby and Mr. Boots become a regular part of the act, traveling from place to place performing. As much as Mr. Lassiter would like for Mr. Boots to transform onstage, he refuses. He only transforms to his horse form, Midnight Blue, when he's really upset - like when the magician threatens to beat Bobby. Things go from bad to worse when they meet up with a huge group of other performers and find out that Mr. Lassiter is married! The entire group continues to try to perform, despite the economic strain, due to the Great Depression. Eventually, things come to a head when Mr. Lassiter tries to beat Mr. Boots and Bobby reveals her true GIRL self to him.

This was a very strange book. I didn't really like it. There was so much going on throughout the whole thing, I had a hard time deciding what the story was really about. It was part fantasy, part realistic fiction, part historical fiction. It had issues including death, abuse, relationships, the depression. There were horses, circus performers, singers. There were so many different ideas, I felt like I got cheated out of really getting to explore each of them deeply.

Caddy Ever After by Hilary McKay

Caddy Ever After by Hilary McKay is about the Casson family. Rose is 9, her brother Indigo is 14, her cousin Saffron (who lives with them) is 16, and her older sister Caddy who has moved to London. The story is told from the perspectives of the four kids, starting with Rose, telling about her very embarrassing incident on the carpet squares during Ghost Club. The story moves on with Indigo, describing how he was able to get everyone involved in the Valentine's Day Dance, including Sarah, Saffron's best friend, and Rose, who really shouldn't have been at the high school dance to begin with! The story continues with Saffron's account of Sarah's terrible childhood illness, which left her wheelchair bound, and popped back up after the Valentine's Day Dance. Finally, the story ends with Caddy's version of her wedding plans - to Alex, whom she met after Rose and Saffron were stranded in a bog after Oscar's (who Saffy began dating after Indigo set them up at the Valentine's Dance) car ran out of gas. Alex, Oscar's brother, came to the rescue and dropped the girls off at their house, where Caddy was visiting! The wedding didn't happen as planned, which was explained by Rose at the very, very end of the story.

This was an awesome book! I haven't read any of the other books about the Casson family, written by this author. I absolutely loved Rose - she is probably the most endearing character I have ever read about. It was fun to read the story through the eyes of the different characters. It was also really fun to see how four seemingly separate stories came together at the end.

Lost in America by Marilyn Sachs

Lost in America by Marilyn Sachs is about Nicole, a young Jewish girl living in France during World War II. One night she stays over with a friend, and her parents and younger sister are taken by Nazis. Nicole finds herself alone and no one will help her. She eventually stays at her school until it closes. Then, she tries to stay with her aunt, in hopes that her family will soon return. Her aunt ruins her parents' apartment with ugly paint and furnishings, and allows her boyfriend to move in. Then, she learns that her parents and little sister were killed at a concentration camp. As a result, Nicole decides to follow her best friend, Rose, to America to stay with a cousin. Life in America is hard for Nicole. It is busier, louder, and less friendly than the small town in France where she was from. Her clothes are not right, she doesn't understand English very well, and has a hard time speaking to Americans. Her new family is very unpleasant to her, forcing her to get a job and pay rent! Nicole uses this first year in America to find new friends and learn the ways of the Americans.

This story was based on the actual events in the life of the author's close friend. She described her first year in America as the best and worst year of her life! The history in this book was interesting. I have never read a book from the perspective of a person who was touched by WWII in this way. This was a great historical fiction novel!

The Wizard's Map by Jane Yolen

The Wizard's Map by Jane Yolen is about twins, Jennifer and Peter, their younger sister Molly, and their parents. They all travel to Scotland to spend time with the people who helped raise mom. Once they arrive, they start to learn that the small town where they'll be staying this summer is not quite normal. Jennifer and Peter find a strange map in the attic of Gran and Da's house. Molly drew some circles on it that night, and the next morning, crop circles appeared in the wheat fields of their neighbor! Also in the attic is a card game called Patience. Jennifer knows this game is somehow connected to the map and the strange garden house in the back garden. She wants to go exploring, but is frightened of the crazy things that keep happening. Then, a stranger shows up at the house and literally DISAPPEARS with Molly! It's up to Jennifer and Peter and a strange threesome of a black dog, black dragon, and black unicorn to save Molly and the rest of the family from the evil wizard who created the map hundreds of years ago.

This was a great book! It's the first in the Tartan Magic Adventures. The story unfolded quickly and kept my attention all the way through. Jane Yolen does a nice job of writing so that I could visualize all of the events and characters in the story.

A Bear Named Trouble by Marion Bauer

A Bear Named Trouble by Marion Bauer is based on the true story of a young bear who came to call the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth his home. Jonathan and his father have moved to Alaska leaving his mother and sister, Rhonda, in Duluth to finish out the school year. Jonathan's dad works at the zoo, which is Jonathan's favorite place to visit. One night, a bear breaks into the zoo, seemingly to visit an older bear already living there. Jonathan is determined to get inside the mind of this young bear, who has also been hanging around his own neighborhood. One night Jonathan lures the bear to his house with a loaf of bread, then follows him on his visit to the zoo. During that visit, the bear kills Jonathan's favorite animal, Mama Goose. As a result, Jonathan calls the news to "report" on the wild bear and his where-abouts. Jonathan ends up having second thoughts, however, when he finds out that the fish and game department have plans to kill the bear his father named Trouble! Now he's on a mission to save Trouble.

This was a great book! It was a quick read because I kept wanting to find out what would happen next. It is told through the eyes of the bear and the eyes of Jonathan, which is really interesting. I especially liked the parts in the beginning that described Trouble's journey to the zoo. This book is based on a true story!

Local News by Gary Soto

Local News by Gary Soto is a collection of 13 short stories about Mexican American kids living in California. The really cool thing about this book is that the stories are small snippets of the every-day lives of these kids. It was interesting to step into the shoes of kids who live completely different lives than me! The author also sprinkles in bits and pieces of Spanish words and phrases and includes a translation guide in the back. I liked this book a lot. The stories are all very short, so it was easy to read one or two at a time and come back to a brand new book!

Star Jumper: Journal of a Cardboard Genius by Frank Asch

Star Jumper: Journal of a Cardboard Genius by Frank Asch is about Alex, a seemingly ordinary kid with an extremely annoying younger brother. Alex is a cardboard genius. He can literally make anything using cardboard, duct tape, and random supplies found in an attic or garage. Alex gets some boxes from the grocery store and decides to create a rocket ship to take him to another plant, far, far away from his younger brother, Jonathan. Once he gets the ship built, he is almost ready to leave, but he remembers he needs some form of protection from the native people of the planet where he lands - just in case they aren't friendly. So, he creates a ray gun that makes things really, really tiny. Unfortunately, he accidentally uses it on Jonathan. That's when Jonathan finds out that Alex is building a space ship so he can leave home. Alex decides he might be lonely on the new planet without people like him, so he builds a replicator to bring his "alternate" selves on his journey. While he's working, Jonathan is also building something. It turns out that Jonathan is also a cardboard genius and has build a machine that erases things! The two brothers have a war - replicating themselves and erasing their alternate selves - until they finally realize they have more in common than they though. In the end, despite the fact that his space ship is ruined beyond repair, Alex realizes that he knows a perfect way to spend time with his annoying little brother that will be good for both of them!

This was a cute story! It reminded me of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Captain Underpants. Because it's in journal form, there area a lot of drawings and pictures to accompany the story. This is a fun science fiction story for anyone who has an annoying sibling!

The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher

The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher is about friends Eddie and Billy. Poor Eddie has had a really rough life lately - his dad died and within three months, his best friend Billy died - and Eddie was the one to find them both. Eddie really doesn't have any other friends, so he's lucky that despite being dead, Billy hasn't really left. Billy is able to visit Eddie through dreams and "bumps" once Eddie is able to open his mind to him. One place they visit together often is the old sledding hill where they used to spend time when Billy was alive. At school, there is a big controversy over a book Eddie's literature class is reading. The local church and youth group have begun proceedings to have the book banned due to language and content. Many of the other students are against the ban, but the church is so powerful, they aren't sure how to stop them. Eddie decides to infiltrate the church by pretending he's against the book, only to find out the church and youth group's secrets. Eddie lets loose on the congregation when he is asked to testify before his confirmation. Just after that, at the school board meeting, many students and parents come together against the ban. The author of the 'offensive' book himself even shows up to defend the book (at Eddie's request).

I absolutely hated this book. I have never felt so betrayed by a back cover. The synopsis of the book claims it will be about Eddie's friendship with his dead best friend. I had no idea the entire book would be about the church and this fictional book which happened to be written by the actual author of The Sledding Hill, Chris Crutcher. It felt more like I was reading an autobiography than a story. I got really tired of reading about how rebellious Chris Crutcher is for writing books that get banned and for writing about 'touchy' subjects. I think this might be the only book I wish I hadn't read. I will definitely not be reading any other books by this author.

The Mystery of the Fool and the Vanisher by David and Ruth Ellwand

The Mystery of the Fool and the Vanisher by David and Ruth Ellwand is a story within a story. It begins with the journal of David, a photographer who finds something exceptional as he explores the English Down. As he's wandering through the deep forest, he comes upon an old dwelling. Inside he finds a mysterious trunk. David claims the trunk and takes it back to his studio. There are many wonderous things inside the trunks - stones with circles through the middle, masks, journals and drawings by Isaac Wilde, glasses with the circle stones inside, and an ancient audio recording from the person who originally packed the trunk. David sends the recording off to a person who has an antique phonograph and receives a CD of the recording in the mail. From this point, the book follows the audio diary of Isaac Wilde, a photographer who was asked to take pictures of an archaeological dig in 1889. This is where he found everything within the trunk. The locals believed the hill where the dig was taking place was haunted by pixies and spirits. Many of them were angry with the archaeologists for disturbing it. Isaac was able to use the stories from the locals and the amazing artifacts he found to see some of the pixies! Needless to say, no one believed him. So, he set out to photograph one of the pixies using a special plate of film that could not be tampered with nor copied. But... things went wrong.

This was one of the best books I've ever read!! I loved how it was structured - it looked like a non-fiction book! The pictures and artifacts on each page supporting the journals were amazing and really added to the experience of getting inside the mind of Isaac Wilde. After reading this book I am more of a believer in the world of fairy. Totally awesome!!!

I Was a Rat by Philip Pullman

I Was a Rat by Philip Pullman is a fairy tale about a boy who used to be a rat. He doesn't remember how he turned into a boy or why, but he does remember that it was about three weeks prior to showing up on Bob and Joan's doorstep in a page boy's uniform. Bob and Joan, an elderly couple who make shoes for the people of the kingdom, never had children of their own, so they decided to take the boy in. They name him Roger. Right away they notice that Roger has some peculiar habits - gnawing on pencils, ripping up sheets to make a nest, and no knowledge of silverware or cooked food. They take him to the hospital, the orphanage, even the police, but no one seems to want Roger. Finally, they put him in school. Unfortunately, Roger doesn't know how to behave in school and gets into trouble. The Royal Philosopher wants to meet Roger to perform some psychological tests on him. During the testing, Roger becomes frightened of a cat and runs away. From there Roger ends up in a freak show, as a thief, and is eventually caught by police who intend to have him exterminated! All the while, Bob and Joan continue to search for him. In the end, the brand new princess of the land has to come to Roger's rescue in an unexpected way.

This was a really cute fairy tale. Roger was such a sweet and innocent little boy! The people in the kingdom jumped right on the band-wagon after reading in the newspaper that he was a monster and needed to be exterminated. It's interesting what the media can get reasonable people to believe.

Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry

Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry is about Mafatu, a boy who barely survived a canoe accident when he was little - his mother didn't survive. The memories of the accident have haunted him ever since, preventing him from doing the same things as the other boys in his tribe. Mafatu is supposed to be a fisherman, but he can't bring himself to paddle out past the reef. Instead, he does "women work", carving knives, making rope, etc. The other boys ridicule Mafatu, saying he is a coward. One day Mafatu has finally had enough. He takes his dog, jumps in a canoe and paddles off to prove his courage. He travels for days on the ocean, through storms and dehydration, before finally reaching a small island. Mafatu sets up camp there and sets about proving his courage. He kills a hammerhead shark, kills a giant octopus, kills a wild boar, and even escapes a tribe of "man-eating" natives. Once he returns home, Mafatu is given a hero's welcome - he has proven himself to his tribe, his family, and Mafatu.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a Newberry Medal winner that I'd never read before. This is a short book, filled with action and adventure. I felt so sad for Mafatu - no one in his village understood his fears. He finally went out to prove himself to the rest of them, which he did, but at his own expense. Pretty sad.

The Duel: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr by Judith St. George

The Duel: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr by Judith St. George describes the lives of two powerful men in US history, and the events that lead up to their duel. Both men had similar stories - they were orphaned at an early age, they were both very smart and personable, both studied law, both entered the army during the Revolutionary War, both entered politics and lived in New York City and Philadelphia, and both grew to know and dislike one another. So, at dawn, on July 11, 1804, they met in Weehawken, New Jersey, to duel. When the duel was over, one man was dead and the other had to go into hiding (dueling was illegal).

This was a GREAT book! I had never heard of this duel! I didn't know that Aaron Burr was the vice president under Thomas Jefferson! This book was more like an action/adventure story than a page out of history. This is they way I like to learn about our country - through people's stories.

Redwall the Graphic Novel by Brian Jacques

Redwall the Graphic Novel by Brian Jacques is about the gentle mice of Redwall Abbey. They are just beginning to celebrate the summer of the late rose when they hear that the legendary rat, Cluny the Scourge, is planning on attacking the abbey. Matthias, a clumsy but sweet mouse, must retrieve the sword of Martin, the warrior who defeated many foxes, vermin and a wildcat before turning peaceful and founding the Redwall Abbey. Matthias's journey is full of danger. He meets many new and dangerous animals, including the Sparra who live above the abbey, an old owl who haunts the forest, a barn cat, the voles of the forest, and even the evil Asmodeus, the snake responsible for many rodent deaths, before eventually coming face to face with Cluny.

This was a great adventure! I liked the graphic novel format - the pictures were incredibly detailed. I would recommend this book to fantasy fans who like animals. I know it's really popular among my 6th graders.

Things Hoped For by Andrew Clements

Things Hoped For by Andrew Clements is the sequel to Things Not Seen. It's been 2 years since Bobby turned invisible and back, and he's been studying music seriously. He comes to New York to try out at some prestigious music schools and meets Gwen. Gwen has been living with her grandfather in New York and going to a private performing arts school on a scholarship. It is her senior year, and she is focused on her try outs at Juliard and other music schools. Her dreams of playing her violin in an orchestra become jeopardized when her grandfather mysteriously disappears. He leaves a very strange message on their answering machine one afternoon, a week away from the Juliard try out, and simply vanishes. Thankfully, Gwen meets Bobby, who now goes by Robert, and the immediately get along. She convinces him to stay with her in her grandfather's house so she doesn't have to be alone - just until grandfather comes back. Unfortunately, things go wrong a few days before her big audition. Grandfather comes back (sort of), a strange invisible man begins stalking Robert, and Gwen's Uncle Hank keeps trying to force her grandfather to sell the house - and he's getting tired of being put off.

I liked this book, but not as much as I liked Things Not Seen. I really liked Gwen, and I liked finding out what happened to Bobby and Alicia. The twists and turns in Things Hoped For were CRAZY and unexpected. They added a lot to my interest in the story.

Frozen Man by David Getz, Illustrated by Peter McCarty

Frozen Man by David Getz, Illustrated by Peter McCarty is the true story of the 5000 year old man found frozen in a glacier near the borders of Italy and Austria. The book begins with the couple who found him while out hiking in the Alps. It follows the "ice man" as the police come to investigate, then anthropologists come to investigate, and they eventually realize they had found something really special. Tools and artifacts were found with the ice man, and scientists were able to determine how he died, his job, what he ate, and many other interesting details about his life.

This was a really interesting book. I have seen movies/documentaries and have even read an article in the 6th grade social studies text book about him, but this book gave me a far more comprehensive view of this frozen man.

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson is set in 1971. Frannie is a 6th grader who goes to a school on "the other side of the highway". Almost everyone in the school is African American, and those who aren't are not white. That changes when a new boy arrives - he has long blond hair and claims his name is Jesus. He also claims he isn't white. This throws Frannie's whole 6th grade class into a tizzy! At home, Frannie is dealing with other issues. He brother, Sean, is deaf. This is only a problem when people who can hear tease him or make fun of Frannie. Their mother is pregnant again, after having lost three babies in the past. Everyone is worried about her and the baby. Plus, there is a war going on over in Vietnam. Frannie's class is studying poetry. One of the verses that sticks with Frannie is by Emily Dickenson: "Hope is the thing with feathers..." At first, Frannie doesn't understand what this metaphor means. By the end of her story, she does.

This was a really good book. I enjoyed getting to know Frannie and her family. I also liked Frannie's best friend, Samantha. This story was about so many different things, but it was really based on a simple idea: hope.

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson is about Lonnie, an eleven-year-old boy who tells his life story through poetry. He is assigned to write different types of poems in Ms. Marcus's class. Most of the poems are about his friends at school, his foster mother, his sister, and the fire that stole the lives of their parents too early. Lonnie lives with Ms. Edna, who has two grown sons. Lili, Lonnie's younger sister, lives with a different foster parent across town. The don't get to see each other very often because Lili's new mama doesn't like Lonnie. Lonnie has done a lot of changing in his eleven years. He remembers a lot about what it was like when he lived with his parents. He also remembers the group homes and the Throwaway Boys who terrorized him there. His poetry is beautiful and heartfelt, telling the story of his life.

I really liked this book! I like books written in verse. This one reminded me of Love That Dog and Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech. Locomotion was sad, but hopeful. It makes me want to write some poetry!

Chicken Boy by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Chicken Boy by Frances O'Roark Dowell is about twelve-year-old Tobin McCauley. No one really knows him at his middle school, including his teachers, but because of his last name and the reputations of his brothers and sister, everyone thinks they know exactly who he is. Tobin doesn't really do anything to change their opinions about him until Henry sticks up for him during a fight. Tobin gets suspended for a week, and during that time he gets to know Henry and his younger brother, Harrison. Henry has a philosophy about chickens having souls and ropes Tobin into helping him and his brother with their chicken egg business. This is the one positive thing in Tobin's life, especially when his grandmother decides to file a report on Tobin's dad with social services, stating that Tobin is being neglected. It's been hard on Tobin's whole family ever since his mother died of cancer five years ago. Unfortunately, since he's the youngest, it affects Tobin most. Tobin ends up learning a lot about people, friends, family, life, and chickens by the end of the story!

This was a great book! Initially, I felt so sorry for Tobin. I've never really looked into the life of someone in his position. Despite being angry with his dad for neglecting him and his siblings, by the end I felt sorry for him, too. Losing a wife/mother must be so hard - I can't even imagine.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse is set in the Oklahoma dust bowl in 1935. Billie Jo's parents try their hardest to make ends meet, but they just can't. Dust storms pop up constantly, ripping their wheat from the ground, choking livestock, and covering everything - inside and out. Billie Jo's salvation is the piano. She plays so well that she's asked to play in small towns all around the area, for money! Billie Jo's mom becomes pregnant, and everyone is very excited about the baby, especially since Ma hasn't carried a baby to term since Billie Jo was born. Just before the baby was due, there was a terrible accident. Billie Jo's dad left a pail of kerosene next to the cook stove. Ma thought it was water and tried to use it to make tea. The tea caught fire, so she ran outside to dump it out. Billie Jo grabbed the full pail and threw the kerosene out the door, not realizing that her mother was standing right there. Her mother was engulfed in flames. Both Billie Jo and her mother were severely burned - Ma over most of her body and Billie Jo on her hands where she tried to smother the flames. Ma and the baby die as a result of the accident. Billie Jo isn't sure she can get over the feeling that it's her fault, and she can't even play the piano anymore for solace.

This was an excellent book. It is part of the historical fiction collection I assign my students every year, but this is the first time I've read it. I can see why they all like it. I think everyone can relate to Billie Jo, struggling to overcome the accident and make her way in the world.

Rash by Pete Hautman

Rash by Pete Hautman is set in the year 2074 when just about everything fun is illegal - french fries, football, owning a large dog, even walking without a helmet! Just calling someone a name could get you locked up in prison. In fact, the USSA (United Safer States of America) runs on prison labor because so many citizens are in jail! Bo is a sixteen-year-old high school student who has already incurred two infarctions. With the three strikes you're out law, he is on his way to a work camp in northern Canada after trying to punch out the guy who wants to steal Bo's girlfriend. At the camp, Bo and several other students are forced to play football illegally (without protective gear!), just for the head guard's amusement. Luckily, Bo created an artificially intelligent (AI) lifeform on his laptop (WindO) who is working hard to get him out. Bork seems to be Bo's only friend and only hope.

This was a great book! I'm not a huge sci fi fan, but this futuristic look at society was really interesting. People in the USA decide it would be better to be safe than free. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in computers, football, and/or sci fi adventures. There is some mature language.

The Rumplestiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde

The Rumplestiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde is a collection of short stories, all revolving around the tale of Rumplestiltskin. Each story follows the basic details of the classic fairy tale, but with some twists and turns. These stories are Vivian Vande Velde's way of trying to piece together how the strange events of the Rumplestiltskin came to be.

This was a great book! I loved each of the six stories! They were all similar because of the theme, but completely different in the characters and the events. I especially enjoyed the last story!

Who Owns Kelly Paddik? by Beth Goobie

Who Owns Kelly Paddik? by Beth Goobie is about a girl who has had a tough life. She was abused by her father and her mother didn't help her. She runs away, lives life on the street, and is eventually caught and put in a group home. After she tries to commit suicide, Kelly ends up in a residential treatment center for girls. She doesn't want to talk to anyone, and finds her only outlet in writing stories about her life and the life she wishes she had. Kelly is finally able to move on with her life when she realizes that her abusive father does not own her - she owns herself.

This was a quick read, but packed with a lot of heavy material. I would recommend it to a mature audience due to the abuse and suicide references. This was a good look at what happens to girls who suffer at the hands of an abuser. It wasn't the "Hollywood" style story that is often portrayed in the movies.

Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko

Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko is the sequel to Al Capone Does My Shirts (a Maud Hart Lovelace nominee from the 2007 - 2008 school year). It takes place at Alcatraz, the island prison just off the coast of California, in 1935, during the time Al Capone was imprisoned there. The civilian residents on the island have their laundry done by the convicts. As a result, Al Capone is able to slip a note to Moose, the main character, asking for a favor. Moose is reluctant to do a favor for a criminal, knowing he might end up in really big trouble - either with his parents, the warden, or in debt to Al Capone! But, Moose feels obligated to help because he knows Al Capone somehow got Natalie (Moose's autistic sister) into a special school from which she had previously been denied entrance twice. Moose decides to do the favor, which is to buy yellow roses for Al Capone's wife and deliver them to her on the ferry from the main land. Unfortunately, this starts a chain of events which Moose never could have predicted - ending in an escape attempt by three convicts!

I liked this book, though not as much as Al Capone Does My Shirts. The sequel had the same characters - Annie, Moose's baseball playing friend from the island, Piper, the warden's scheming daughter, Jimmy, Moose's fly-breeding friend on the island and his sister Theresa, Scout, Moose's friend from school on the main land, and Janet, the most hated guard's daughter. There was a lot more drama from the prison in this book. It really showed more of the 'nastiness' of the prisoners. I really liked the author's note in the back, explaining the research behind the story and the facts about Alcatraz and its residents through the years. This book comes out in September, 2009.

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd is about Ted and Kat, siblings who find out their cousin, Salim, is staying overnight at their house for a few nights on his way to move to New York with his mom. Salim really wants to ride the London Eye, a huge ferris wheel that rotates once each 1/2 hour. While waiting in line, a stranger offers the kids a free ticket to ride. Because Ted and Kat had ridden the Eye in the past, they let Salim go alone with the free ticket. They watched their cousin get on the 'pod' and waited for him to return 30 minutes later. But, when the 'pod' came back down, Salim wasn't on it. Eventually, they realize that Salim has vanished and he's not coming back. Ted and Kat make it their mission to find Salim.

This was a great mystery! The entire time I read, I kept trying to solve the mystery. I thought I had it all figured out, but I wasn't even close!! I really enjoyed this book! Ted is autistic and thinks a little differently than most people. I really liked the way the author made Ted the hero because of this difference.

The Cats of Roxville Station by Jean Craighead George

The Cats of Roxville Station by Jean Craighead George is about Ratchet, a young stray cat who makes her home near the train station in Roxville. She had been mistreated by people in the past, so she is very wary of humans. In the field near the train station, Ratchet becomes aware of many different creatures - a fox, an owl, a snake, a racoon - along with several other stray cats. All of the cats find a home in the basement of an old house, needing repairs. Mike, the foster child of the woman who owns the house has seen Ratchet around and really wants to keep her as his own. The only problems are that his foster mother won't allow it, and Ratchet is terrified of him. Mike works on them both by fixing up his foster mother's deceased husband's boats to sell, thus earning money for themselves and for cat supplies.

This was a cute story. There was a lot of factual information in this book about the ways animals communicate with one another and with people. There was also a lot of information about habitats for animals. It was a nice mixture between a fictional story and factual information. I have read other books by Jean Craighead George including Julie of the Wolves and My Side of the Mountain.

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex is title of the essay eleven-year-old Gratuity Tucci writes about the Christmas Eve when the alien race, the Boov, came to Earth, led by Captain Smek. Gratuity, her friends call her Tip, knew something was strange when her mother started talking to herself in single words in both Italian and English. Her mother was convinced she had been taken by aliens who had implanted a mole on her neck - and she had the mole to prove it. Tip didn't believe it until she actually saw a huge ship suck her other into the sky. Suddenly, Earth was overrun by the Boov, who decided all American humans should be sent to live in Florida. Rather than board the mystery ships with the other humans, Tip decides to drive herself and her cat, Pig. She runs into all sorts of trouble along the way, including meeting J.Lo, a Boov who is on the run from his own people for accidentally alerting an evil alien race that the Boov had taken over Earth. Tip, Pig and J.Lo make it to Florida, only to find the humans were all moved to Arizona. They are on their way to Arizona when the Gorg arrive and begin destroying all of the Boov and clearing the world of cats. J.Lo and Tip know they need to come up with a plan to keep Pig safe and save the human race and Earth. They find a teleclone machine the Gorg have been using to replecate themselves and take it with them to Arizona. When they get there, they find Tip's mom, but she doesn't believe a kid and an alien can do anything to help. So, Tip and J.Lo hatch a plan to get rid of the Boov and the Gorg forever.

This was a neat book. The beginning was two drafts of Tip's essay about the meaning of Smekday (the day the Boov arrived and left one year later). The rest of the story is Tip writing out everything else that happened when the Boov and Gorg came to Earth. The entire book is filled with pictures, drawings, and even comics drawn by J.Lo! I really liked the way the author wove parts of our own history into what was happening with the alien invaders (like when they promised Florida to the humans FOREVER, then took it away because they discovered oranges - reminds me of what happened with the Native Americans...). This was a great alien invasion story without a lot of super-scientific terms and blood and guts!