The Book Search

There's some great new middle great fiction coming out in the next few months.  I've been SOOO lucky to get to read them as advanced readers copies!  I can't wait to get these into the hands of kids. The first one is a sequel to a book I read last year called "Serafina and the Black Cloak" by Robert Beatty.  I was lucky enough to get to hear Robert speak at the NCRA meeting in Raleigh in March and he's just as charming and interesting and you would imagine him to be.  The new one that's coming out in July (I think) is called "Serafina and the Twisted Staff".  What's great about both of these books is that they weave historical fiction (they are both set at the turn of the 19th century in Asheville, NC at the Biltmore House) and folkloric fantasy.  I can't tell you too much of the story without completely giving a way the plot, but let me tell you, the story is exciting and fast paced and well written.  Everything you'd want in a mid

My students really love nonfiction.  I think it has to do with the Montessori attitude where things are based in reality, starting with concrete and moving to abstract, or maybe their parents just prefer to read nonfiction with them.  In any case, the nonfiction books in my library get a work out and I know these new ones I've been reading are going to be great additions to my library. The first one is an easy sell in my library.  It's called "The Great Leopard Rescue" by Sandra Markle.  It's about the Amur leopards which live in Russia and are among the most endangered animals on earth.  They are big-almost twice the size of a German Shepherd and there are fewer than 1000 of them left.  The book details why they are endangered (habitat reduction) and what scientists are trying to do to help save them.  The book is full of engaging photographs of the leopards with small pieces of interesting text.  My kids are going to love this one. The second one is a b

New books!  New books!  New books!  It's so exciting to get new books!  I just got a big box of new books for our library!  I don't even remember how I chose them, but here are some of my new favorites. The first one is called "My life in pictures" by Deborah Zemke.  It's a short chapter book about a charming girl named Bea (short for Beatriz).  Bea likes to draw and has a very annoying little brother that she calls "The Big Pest".  She has a best friend who lives next door named Yvonne and they have marvelous adventures together until Yvonne moves away to Australia.  A new family moves in and guess what?  They have a child the same age as Bea!  Except he is a monster.  Bea draws to work her way through this problem and it has a great ending.  This one would pair up well with "Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie " by Julie Sternberg-it has the same short chapter format, as well as a similar art and writing style.  The kids are going to like this on

I'm always surprised when kids think that picture books are just for little kids.  Many of the picture books that are coming out have complicated story lines and big vocabulary, which may or may not be appropriate for really little kids.  The ones in this review are meant for really little kids. The first one is by one of my favorite authors, Henry Cole.  We had an author's visit from Henry back in April and my students talked about it for weeks.  He is very engaging and so much fun.  His latest picture book is called "Spot, the cat".  It's a wordless picture book and tells the story of a day when boy leaves the window open and his cat goes out for walk.  The pictures are black and white pen and ink drawings and are so detailed that this book probably won't make a good read aloud, you need to be able to take your time and examine the pictures closely so you can see every little thing.  I suspect this one will want to be read several times, over and over agai

I got to read some very interesting picture books this week from Netgalley.  YAY for advanced readers copies! The first one is the second in what is apparently going to be a series about a little cat named Max by Ed Vere.  This one is called "Max at Night".  I loved the first one, called "Max the Brave" about a little kitten named Max who is out to hunt mice.  Except he doesn't know what a mouse is.  He goes out into the big world and finds many creatures that are not mice, until a furry little monster (with a long tail and big ears) tells him where to find the mouse.  The kids loved that one and I think they are going to love this one too. In "Max at Night", we find Max getting ready to go to bed.  He has a whole night time routine that he goes through, but on this particular night, he wants to say good night to the moon, so he keeps trying to get closer and closer to the moon.  The pictures are the same as in the first Max book-the pictures are ver

The new Sunshine State Young Reader list is out and I'm really excited to get started reading them! There are a few titles I've ready read but lots of them that I'd never heard of, so I've got a great list ahead of me!  Just in time for summer vacation! The first one I read is called "All Four Stars" by Tara Dairman.  It's about a girl named Gladys Gatsby who lives in a small town in NY, famous for it's landfill.  Gladys doesn't really have any friends, but she does have a big passion for cooking.  Her parents think this is a bad idea and encourage her to make friends, watch TV, play on the computer, but Gladys really wants to cook.  She resorts to cooking when they aren't home and one day, things go rather badly.  Gladys is trying to make creme brûlée and uses a blow torch she finds in the garage rather than one that's approved for culinary use and accidentally sets the curtains on fire, just as her parents walk into the house.  Her pare

Even as the school year is winding down, teachers are starting to put things away for the summer and I'm starting to think about getting ALL THOSE BOOKS BACK (how awesome that people have been using them!), there are still some great new reads to look for!  Check these out... The first one is called "I am Drums" by Mike Grosso.  It's about a girl named Sam and she loves to drum.  Her family is struggling a bit-her parents are fighting, her dad is having trouble keeping a job and her mom is working long hours to try to keep things together.  Her little brother is a pain and her best friend is finding other things that are interesting.  Sam knows her family can't afford a drum kit, so she makes one herself out of books and her desk.  She knows her family can't afford drum lessons so she hatches a plan to cut grass to earn money and then asks a neighbor to teach her.  She makes some really bad choices but I really admire her determination.  The books makes some