tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76580198366928792742024-03-07T13:16:28.324-08:00The Book SearchThe Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.comBlogger340125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-50194274256171004512024-03-07T13:15:00.000-08:002024-03-07T13:15:54.193-08:00New middle grade realistic fiction 2024<p> I'm branching out from all the speculative fiction I've been reading to catch up on some realistic fiction. Here are two of my new favorites!</p><p>The first one is called "The Partition Project" by Saadia Faruqi. She also wrote this one that I liked a lot too called <a href="https://imtanner.blogspot.com/2020/05/new-realistic-middle-grade-fiction.html">"A Place at the Table"</a> It's about Maha (short for Mahnoor) who lives in Texas with her loving parents and her older brother. The story opens with the family at the airport getting ready to pick up Dadi, who is Maha's dad's adoptive mother. Dadi is going to come and live with the family and Maha is meant to act as a kind of a baby-sitter to Dadi. Maha is not happy about losing her bedroom (she gets her own room, but it's up in the attic) to Dadi and she's struggling to connect to Dadi, who is often abrupt and and kind of cranky. Maha's deepest passion is journalism and she's very excited when her teacher assigns them a documentary project. Except she has no idea what to do the documentary about. Dadi has been telling her stories about her earlier life and Maha decides to do the project about the partitioning of India, but she ends up so obsessed with the documentary that she forgets about a novel study project she was supposed to be working on with her best friend, Kim. They end up in a big argument and Maha worries that she will never be friends with Kim again. This is an interesting story to read-there are big themes of family and family history, especially family history that's painful. There are also themes of friendship and commitment to a task, of telling a good story and finding family. It would be fun to use this book as a springboard for a documentary project. It would also be interesting to use this a doorway to talking about the food of different cultures-Dadi is a really great cook and the food she cooks sounds amazing! I really liked this story and I think it a lot of middle graders are going to like this one too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vvtHA0mhLfBGJl48vYSbvXSXsDG-miCsyyGGKfPPEpBCiz3SUVSZc3kmebE6iVJKWtKGV0G8DSE_qgKngCFvoEPkltdfk0H7I4gNMdCA70uFsAws6M1hfyiTtSRKJvWpDMmqJQb5_enRbXsKDV9FZe3dmo1BT9X2pDsIgUVqQ934FVC5HIohE1p9PfY/s600/partition.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vvtHA0mhLfBGJl48vYSbvXSXsDG-miCsyyGGKfPPEpBCiz3SUVSZc3kmebE6iVJKWtKGV0G8DSE_qgKngCFvoEPkltdfk0H7I4gNMdCA70uFsAws6M1hfyiTtSRKJvWpDMmqJQb5_enRbXsKDV9FZe3dmo1BT9X2pDsIgUVqQ934FVC5HIohE1p9PfY/s320/partition.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second one is a sequel, which I don't typically read. I don't typically read sequels because there are so many new books published each year that I tend to prioritize new stories. BUT, sometimes a story is SO compelling you need to stick around for the second part and that was THIS story. This one is called Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart. I'm a BIG fan of Dan Gemeinhart's work, which you might know if you've been reading my blog. I really liked<a href="https://imtanner.blogspot.com/2022/06/new-middle-grade-realistic-fiction.html" target="_blank"> The Midnight Children</a>. I also really liked <a href="https://imtanner.blogspot.com/2016/02/amazing-new-middle-grade-fiction.html">Some Kind of Courage. </a> But this is the one, <a href="https://imtanner.blogspot.com/2018/12/stand-out-characters-in-middle-grade.html">The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise</a> that is the prequel to Coyote Lost and Found. It's probably a good idea if you read Coyote Sunrise first, if you haven't and it's amazing. Because, spoiler alert-you need the backstory of Coyote Sunrise. Dan Gemeinhart will give it to you at the beginning of Coyote Lost and Found but the way Coyote Sunrise unfolds is total magic. Coyote Lost and Found then, is about Coyote (or Ella) who is no longer living in a bus with her dad, instead they have moved into a house and Coyote has started middle school. This is not an easy thing for a young woman like Coyote who has lived with just her dad, being homeschooled (or schooled by herself, mostly). She's so different from the other kids, the way she dresses, her lack of interest in a phone and social media, her love of books. So when she finds a box on the bus that contains her mother's ashes, Coyote and her dad go on a quest to try to find where her mom wanted her ashes spread. She left the directions in her favorite book, except that Coyote accidentally gave the book away several months ago. She doesn't want to tell her dad, because it makes him really sad. So once she convinces him to go on a road trip, she also recruits her best friend Salvador and her dad brings a friend along too, much to Coyote's dismay. So the lost and found, is not only about the book, but also about gaining closure from other big losses and trying to find what's new and what's enduring. This is just as wonderful as the first book and the kids who were too young to read Coyote Sunrise when it first came out are going to love discovering Coyote as a character and getting to read about both these chapters of her life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's the cover:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RBaQ10SrU4ajluru5wfjL6hMzEswRuPxXUBq16TTF6HvYCMhpI4Y9VDCzTCKaYxXpIhLVibO2O7cPgr1f4qReZGibg7T6xTVu5K80SYqY30alLU_3ShZW2l4PYEZ3t2utfU2P0MjUJYCPv2U0MYZe9muQRxigd95DRWSQdGAByYRYWf_ZXzdfBg8stE/s500/coyote.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RBaQ10SrU4ajluru5wfjL6hMzEswRuPxXUBq16TTF6HvYCMhpI4Y9VDCzTCKaYxXpIhLVibO2O7cPgr1f4qReZGibg7T6xTVu5K80SYqY30alLU_3ShZW2l4PYEZ3t2utfU2P0MjUJYCPv2U0MYZe9muQRxigd95DRWSQdGAByYRYWf_ZXzdfBg8stE/s320/coyote.jpeg" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And here's an interview that Colby Sharp did with Dan about Coyote Lost and Found. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z4GNIIY7EYE" width="320" youtube-src-id="Z4GNIIY7EYE"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-9668737484439829282024-02-20T14:10:00.000-08:002024-02-20T14:10:59.917-08:00Middle grade speculative fiction 2024<p> Middle grade speculative fiction is SO MUCH FUN. The characters are always interesting, the problems are often rooted in social issues, which those middle graders are just beginning to notice, and the fantastical situations that authors put these characters in is just a blast. Here are two new ones that I really enjoyed.</p><p>The first one is called the Princess Protection Program and it's written by Alex London. He's written several other books and this is <a href="https://www.calexanderlondon.com">a link to his website</a>. I thought the title was intriguing and I wasn't wrong! The story starts with a prince who is about to kiss Sleeping Beauty, except that Alex brings up some of the details that other authors might have missed. Like, if this prince has been out scouring the countryside for the princess, is he really going to smell all that great? When was the last time he bathed? Or shaved? Or even brushed his teeth? And if you've been asleep for 100 years, are you really going to be delighted that a stinky stranger is kissing you and then expecting you to marry him? Sheesh, no wonder Sleeping Beauty takes off! And in this story, she ends up at a school that has a Princess Protection Program. But Rosamund (aka Sleeping Beauty) has a LOT of questions, not all of which are related to the dizzying array of technology and cultural changes that have happened since she fell asleep. It turns out that there are monsters called Onceuponatimes that are prowling around, waiting to gobble up princesses and send them back to their stories. There are other princesses at the school and when one of them is gobbled up, Rosamund the other princesses decide to try to rescue her. There are tons of references to fairy tales and lots of questions about how the stories play out in a modern time when cultural expectations around gender roles have changed (for example, does the prince HAVE to save the princess? Can the princess do the saving?). There are also some very funny parts as well as scary monsters. This is a super fun book to read. I think the fairy tale lovers are going to adore this one. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGWm3TVblqW_vhMXGhSf7N7Ef_ZDxWS-3UcXuzwGMa2lwmu43xCKPCsE-ZN9DIhgODHhOtwuvvji-I4-LF1BPSj5LEIUGuOrGZoO0Elcb3WCEgEVh63qNGggi-o0uzlVZHYtkdNhs1_kCbD0OYXX3afs2WF2-_JTA4PWDyEmRNNhlukCHVodu7-6Sp5c/s350/princessprotection.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="230" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGWm3TVblqW_vhMXGhSf7N7Ef_ZDxWS-3UcXuzwGMa2lwmu43xCKPCsE-ZN9DIhgODHhOtwuvvji-I4-LF1BPSj5LEIUGuOrGZoO0Elcb3WCEgEVh63qNGggi-o0uzlVZHYtkdNhs1_kCbD0OYXX3afs2WF2-_JTA4PWDyEmRNNhlukCHVodu7-6Sp5c/s320/princessprotection.jpeg" width="210" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second one is called The Five Impossible Tasks of Eden Smith. It's written by Tom Llewellyn. It starts off a bit like a Roald Dahl book, where Eden's parents die in a terrible accident and she's left in the care of people who don't like her and don't care about her, until one day, she's sent to live with her grandfather, who she didn't know existed. Questions about why it took the system six years to find him are answered when Eden arrives at her grandfather's home to find him disgraced and banished to a cell. Eden ends up moving in with her elderly aunts into the home she didn't know she had-a union of magical metal workers. Eden believes that her grandfather is innocent, but the only way to free him is to perform five impossible tasks, which are set forth by the guild. People have died in pursuit of the five tasks, so it's not just a small thing that she agrees to do them. She does something quite unexpected, though, she asks that her new friend, Nathaniel, can join her. This is unusual because Nathaniel's mom is the cook (and she's amazing) but in this place, everyone's role is fixed and social movement is impossible. This is a fun story to read - Eden is an interesting character who questions lots of things and is great at solving all kinds of problems. There are some great science and engineering ideas and some really interesting ideas about social class assignments and distinctions that could spark some very compelling discussions among your students. There is also a very provacative conversation about the virtues of things that are made by hand versus things that are mass produced, an idea that many of your students probably haven't considered (I know mine hadn't). Don't miss this one! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAxDQXcKxJn6aPd_fao1ZE0P2qGu4twwhZ7vDB_1EJwhj1Ajtuih05W2K4KrHFAae1L5QoilTHvR4kV_v11QWQTafydAyB0tTwVjz9MM3_dkPvD-3K8Aw-S-N8bXZCsoQwo0R8XWuKivOuyELfhCj1GB9yyPSTBDVcHtAKlQ-GanPNvesu3hF3HAq-p8/s1394/edensmith.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1394" data-original-width="920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAxDQXcKxJn6aPd_fao1ZE0P2qGu4twwhZ7vDB_1EJwhj1Ajtuih05W2K4KrHFAae1L5QoilTHvR4kV_v11QWQTafydAyB0tTwVjz9MM3_dkPvD-3K8Aw-S-N8bXZCsoQwo0R8XWuKivOuyELfhCj1GB9yyPSTBDVcHtAKlQ-GanPNvesu3hF3HAq-p8/s320/edensmith.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And here's the author reading the first two chapters! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CaEnPs0Wm-k" width="320" youtube-src-id="CaEnPs0Wm-k"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-60079093348569992362024-02-20T11:06:00.000-08:002024-02-20T14:54:22.436-08:00New middle grade realistic fiction 2024<p> Need some great new middle grade books with relatable characters? Wait till you hear about these!</p><p>The first one is called Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston. I've loved Sherri Winston's writing since I first discovered her when she wrote a column for the Sun Sentinel. She has such a terrific voice in her writing and her latest story is no exception. Shark Teeth is about a 12 year old named Sharkita. She is the primary caregiver for her 5 year old sister, Lily and her 8 year old brother Lamar, who has fetal alcohol syndrome. She's the primary caregiver because her mom is unreliable as a parent. Kita loves Lily and Lamar and would do anything to protect them. But awhile back, things were pretty terrible. Their mom disappeared for 9 days and Lamar had a giant melt down and knocked Kita out. Kita called 911 to get some help and all three kids ended up in different foster homes and their mom wound up in jail. Kita is determined not to let that happen again, but she wonders if she can trust her mom to make good choices. At school, Kita gets involved with the dance team and is making new friends. Her mom gets a job and it seems like things are going well, until they aren't. This story has big themes of loyalty and commitment, parenting and found families, taking care of each other and allowing people to take care of you, of persistence and fighting for yourself and ultimately of hope. I'd like to hope that this is fantasy story, that no parent could ever do the kinds of things that Sharkita's mom does, but it rings way too true. This would be a great book for a book club or for a class read aloud, although I suspect it's going to be hard to find on the shelves. At least at my school library, this is going to be one of those books that kids check out and then it goes out again the minute it comes back to the library, so be sure to get a few extra copies! </p><p>Here's a short video of an interview with Sherri Winston. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wYSo4HTGRJc" width="320" youtube-src-id="wYSo4HTGRJc"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's the cover.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4TXLgiHceAl09nGrQOqGfRDk9hlz5pyB3-CV4i7fZyLvE2yCqwFG43h5mxiwzkYeFqR6C9OEN01roe9a_Cf6koIOX_s05JYdn6jJ-7P0faiSTZNqdEsvgz-ShPF9OItHdeIt6W14LP7XokAlA_a8sNM0ufORcfHlHnImUtDkT7Xurs__K8xRug3-gSs/s350/sharkteeth.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="232" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4TXLgiHceAl09nGrQOqGfRDk9hlz5pyB3-CV4i7fZyLvE2yCqwFG43h5mxiwzkYeFqR6C9OEN01roe9a_Cf6koIOX_s05JYdn6jJ-7P0faiSTZNqdEsvgz-ShPF9OItHdeIt6W14LP7XokAlA_a8sNM0ufORcfHlHnImUtDkT7Xurs__K8xRug3-gSs/s320/sharkteeth.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second one is a mystery and it's called The Liars Society. It's written by Alyson Gerber. It's told from two different perspectives- Jack and Weatherby, two kids who both like sailing. Jack comes from an old money family and attends an elite school. His dad is expects him to always be a winner and even if it means cheating, as long as you don't get caught. And if you do get caught, Dad will find a way to cover it up. Weatherby, on the other hand, lives with her single mom and learned to sail from their neighbor, Skip. She trusts both of them but wishes they would tell her more about her dad, who apparently moved to Switzerland right after her mom got pregnant. When she and Skip beat Jack and his brother at the Regatta, she's invited to attend the Boston school, where her dad attended school. She believes this will be a way to learn more about her dad. But there is a mystery afoot. First, the money for a school trip is stolen and the trip cancelled. Jack's disgraced uncle, Yates, is blamed, but no one can figure out a motive. Then Jack and his friends are invited to join a secret society, but in order to join, they have to complete some tasks in complete secrecy. As they start to solve the mystery, even more mysteries unfold. There are some terrific plot twists and fun surprises along the way. I thought this was great. There could be some excellent conversations about privilege and family honor and about protecting the people we love and about the greater good. Above all, the characters in this are so interesting and so much fun to read, kids are going to love this one. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's a little video from Alyson about her book! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-P-HPpvbEAU" width="320" youtube-src-id="-P-HPpvbEAU"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>and here's the cover. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9t-M0RYfDFYEbtFto3AHUmMO_PKXG_mmq75yTHPb3GYxuH_Mvxiz6aBr01bq8cyYzg_MoQs0x2i-2HrTHXbaOTVRvwLN5BTmyzIY82KSsLWV2i1R5y6-MaOXyHBsqlC-ULeRY0HkSipOrajFAXkMZ-qeqD6CIBOHc0qUz5ysJwJUwFazCmjF58FDbP8Q/s2550/liars.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1689" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9t-M0RYfDFYEbtFto3AHUmMO_PKXG_mmq75yTHPb3GYxuH_Mvxiz6aBr01bq8cyYzg_MoQs0x2i-2HrTHXbaOTVRvwLN5BTmyzIY82KSsLWV2i1R5y6-MaOXyHBsqlC-ULeRY0HkSipOrajFAXkMZ-qeqD6CIBOHc0qUz5ysJwJUwFazCmjF58FDbP8Q/s320/liars.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-55673502167147187282023-12-30T07:47:00.000-08:002023-12-30T07:47:02.304-08:00New graphic novels to warm you up!<p> I might have mentioned before that I'm not typically a fan of graphic novels. I like creating my own mental images of characters and settings and so I don't usually choose graphic novels. BUT, holy cow, these two new ones have such interesting story lines and the art work is SO compelling, you have to look for them!</p><p>The first one is called Atana and the Firebird by <a href="https://vivianzhou.ca">Vivian Zhou</a>. This is her first book, but it better not be her last! The cover is stunning and that's exactly what made me want to read it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgXUnTmfNphuE8SnUCpjcQab1O-jHjYXBtOeR5aFbSbLcY6FbEEcvWseyjSd_IltFYkVp_MPqAC3KXWplXfRwbo3PySko4Fd5YM7LQ8i4IGp5JGnQL5T9MKv0RQzCat1G7wX2NfoXLWsgVoo-SlALMhPgf1IjLFVpUW6vl08zIFgTPDkeHli5Coil9o4/s400/atana.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="270" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgXUnTmfNphuE8SnUCpjcQab1O-jHjYXBtOeR5aFbSbLcY6FbEEcvWseyjSd_IltFYkVp_MPqAC3KXWplXfRwbo3PySko4Fd5YM7LQ8i4IGp5JGnQL5T9MKv0RQzCat1G7wX2NfoXLWsgVoo-SlALMhPgf1IjLFVpUW6vl08zIFgTPDkeHli5Coil9o4/s320/atana.jpeg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All the art work has this magical, glowing quality to it, which is perfect because it's about Atana, a mermaid, who is living alone on an island. One day, a Firebird comes to earth. Her name is Ren and she has been hearing stories all her life about how wonderful Earth is and so even though it's been hundreds of years since a Firebird has come to earth, Ren has come to experience Earth life. But there are evil forces afoot and it's not safe for Ren and so she and Atana set out on a journey to find out about life on Earth but also to find out why Atana has to live by herself. There are a couple of different mysteries at play-why has Atana been sent away from her family and her community? Why has it been so long since Firebirds have come to earth? There's also danger lurking and sometimes it's hard to know who to trust. There are big themes of trust, loyalty, betrayal, and showing your true self but also love, compassion, family and community. And then there is this stunningly beautiful art work. The two main characters are gorgeous, but wait till you see the Witch Queen, who is intimidating and exquisite at the same time. The action scenes felt like they were leaping off the page. I really liked this one a lot and I hope lots of people get to read this one. </div><div><br /></div>The second one is called The Secret of the Ravens. It's written and illustrated by <a href="https://www.joannacacao.com">Joanna Cacao</a>. This is her first middle grade graphic novel. It's also a magical mystery. It's about twins, Elliott and Liza, who are trying to scratch out an existence without the help of their parents. They are trying to make a living by hunting through trash piles for recyclables when an acquaintance tells them of a magical quest that can bring them more money than they can scavenge in a month. They take greater and greater risks to get bigger and bigger pay outs until Eliza is injured and they come face to face with the Raven Master. The Raven Master is using desperate kids for her own purposes, which are definitely counter to the life choices that Elliott and Liza are making. There is a magical apprentice named Sea who tries to help out but Elliott has to make some tough choices on his own. This is a really interesting story that offers a venue for middle grade readers to consider social issues like poverty and homelessness in a way that is accessible and age appropriate. The art work is vivid and conveys the action and emotion beautifully. I think this is one that's not going to stay on the shelf very much because the kids are going to be waiting to check it out! <div><br /></div><div>Here's the cover.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvrcmOYO37BN_sLniFESEf_z7lz7XCx073Xp_KPrG-v4hir3bT-T6hl59qipnXij_5MskzOnHXa06r83x_hJcLhlzxKiAy1Uz2rs-_oJINLu0GIs-CXRdgVZyxuzO9YPGXmdwj3m7yT3Y4VwQCfQW-ow2IcJx7SjGgK1EOgJ2VyKE4xbfQYUpHKGMsgc/s350/secretravens.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvrcmOYO37BN_sLniFESEf_z7lz7XCx073Xp_KPrG-v4hir3bT-T6hl59qipnXij_5MskzOnHXa06r83x_hJcLhlzxKiAy1Uz2rs-_oJINLu0GIs-CXRdgVZyxuzO9YPGXmdwj3m7yT3Y4VwQCfQW-ow2IcJx7SjGgK1EOgJ2VyKE4xbfQYUpHKGMsgc/s320/secretravens.jpeg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><div>And here's a book trailer that will give you a taste of the art work. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pYXT8EwNHOc" width="320" youtube-src-id="pYXT8EwNHOc"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><p><br /></p></div></div>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-10712974460949496982023-12-26T15:09:00.000-08:002023-12-26T15:09:19.225-08:00More middle grade magic!<p> Still reading for the CYBILS award, but coming down the end of the pile. Today I found this really great one lurking!</p><p>It's called "If you meet the Devil, Don't Shake Hands" by Sylvia Whitman. I'd never read anything by Whitman before, so this one was a very pleasant surprise. The narrator is Gavin, a worrier who is in middle school. His best friend, Javi, is an excellent support system because Gavin's dad has been deployed in the military and Gavin's worrying has really ramped up. He has a big (annoying) sister and his mom, but Javi is his closest ally. Javi lives upstairs from Gavin and they are in and out of each other's homes all the time. But when Javi's mom sends Javi a text that the Devil has returned, Javi's grandfather, who left when Javi's mom was a little girl. A magician and card sharp and general rogue. Gavin goes with Javi to his apartment as support for him. But the man sitting at the table doesn't seem that evil. He seems old and bloated and kind of helpless. Until he shakes hands with Gavin and switches bodies with him. At first Gavin is shocked and then outraged. He tries convincing people that the old man they see is really Gavin. Gavin also seems to have access to all of the old man's memories and language skills (so he can speak and understand Spanish) and feelings. This is a really fun twist on the switching bodies kind of a story. Gavin is a likable story teller and is empathetic to the old man that he has become. Once Javi figures out what happened, he tries to help Gavin too and their problem solving strategies are pretty great. This is a story full of great themes-regret, anxiety, dealing with absent parents, loyalty and most of all, love, in all it's many forms. I thought this story was great and I hope you will too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0mcdaGkVfoGpLJd41YjaokF4So1BDwolHGTiBFT2nUnreFJDmkCV7Hbj5ELvX7_k_BE32_fpcx7oOZrKeD73LajmuiiCzD_wND7VyvR81bLhEIhqKKWG2I1M2UNi4_A8gVVZLNG4_09zNSm1AaVGAfOBUYHz5eBRXAGsMjCicEkonCa8noV2c3W_PRg/s2047/if-you-meet-the-devil-cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="1312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0mcdaGkVfoGpLJd41YjaokF4So1BDwolHGTiBFT2nUnreFJDmkCV7Hbj5ELvX7_k_BE32_fpcx7oOZrKeD73LajmuiiCzD_wND7VyvR81bLhEIhqKKWG2I1M2UNi4_A8gVVZLNG4_09zNSm1AaVGAfOBUYHz5eBRXAGsMjCicEkonCa8noV2c3W_PRg/s320/if-you-meet-the-devil-cover.jpeg" width="205" /></a></div><br /><p>I also was able to dive back into reading ARCs on Netgalley and found this super fun graphic novel called "Punycorn" by Andi Watson. It's about Punycorn, a small unicorn in training, who because of his size (and complete lack of grace and strength) is relegated to cleaning and valet duties. He is anxious to prove that he can really be a part of The Chosen Ones, an elite troop of heroic unicorns. But the Chosen Ones had been so successful at driving away evil that they were getting a little complacent. The Chosen Ones decide to go on a trip to practice their world renowned heroic activities (and maybe get a tan) and leave Punycorn in charge. Except that right at that very moment, in the Bastion of Evil, Sir Ogre has been gifted with Gauntlets of Ultimate Victory (which look remarkably like mittens). So Sir Ogre is ready to take on the Chosen Ones, or at least Punycorn. This is a really funny story, with lots of gentle word play, evil villains, some not so evil villains and lots of sparkly unicorns. The story has a bit of a plot twist to keep things fun. A lot of kids are going to love this because it's a graphic novel with brightly colored, energetic art work. But the story line is really fun too. I think this one is going to be a big hit with the kids. </p><p>Check out this awesome cover! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqq38APaYezkDv6D8v1cjG5Bu4gWqMWGy0GlPYB8sLlmYe4SqdQfmuAqpkTINBC6i7B7Z_YAuj7U6ebbKuQ6woCTWT5hWQb4GcAhlXvoP-2KsTfpsGdQXshqGxJgBBXqcCSKc93ID4myYbkzEfvN36gcvTSBholG3h8GYDz3ZKkzQxto4XnAUHswrozW4/s267/punycorm.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqq38APaYezkDv6D8v1cjG5Bu4gWqMWGy0GlPYB8sLlmYe4SqdQfmuAqpkTINBC6i7B7Z_YAuj7U6ebbKuQ6woCTWT5hWQb4GcAhlXvoP-2KsTfpsGdQXshqGxJgBBXqcCSKc93ID4myYbkzEfvN36gcvTSBholG3h8GYDz3ZKkzQxto4XnAUHswrozW4/s1600/punycorm.jpeg" width="189" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Here's a video sneak peek!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nGBZe7DrXN8" width="320" youtube-src-id="nGBZe7DrXN8"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-78811871223626128302023-11-22T07:06:00.000-08:002023-11-22T07:06:17.924-08:00New magical middle grade fiction 2023<p> If I haven't said it often enough, reading for the CYBILS award is so much fun. It's a lot of work (well, if you call reading LOTS of middle grade chapter books work) but then there are THESE treasures you can uncover. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivF6lEuR52pgTgx7BtqEFhhuNx_vmagiXlV7N8JW_nrFi1Mu4JOvVeTs7ZnXaH_ZdIPdx5vDNHOty6zOTOJVVs4_hJ_EZ8-UZXi9W1UjGPYX7le-xb8gdsCLPqu_3Ma0lTdaOtKJRvxqF9SorfihOPbMZmK2Dg6TQhoCRtb34QNxcOJBR-94JRQhpsMpU/s620/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-03%20at%206.42.01%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="620" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivF6lEuR52pgTgx7BtqEFhhuNx_vmagiXlV7N8JW_nrFi1Mu4JOvVeTs7ZnXaH_ZdIPdx5vDNHOty6zOTOJVVs4_hJ_EZ8-UZXi9W1UjGPYX7le-xb8gdsCLPqu_3Ma0lTdaOtKJRvxqF9SorfihOPbMZmK2Dg6TQhoCRtb34QNxcOJBR-94JRQhpsMpU/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-03%20at%206.42.01%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The first one is called Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom. It's written by Nina Varela. I hadn't read anything by her before but this one was so good! It's about Juniper, or June who has recently moved from Dallas, Texas to a small town in southern Florida. She isn't so good at making friends but she's pretty good at disappearing into a crowd. She likes to draw and has been busy drawing a graphic novel, but she's been having these REALLY weird and realistic dreams. She doesn't want to worry her parents, who already worry about her not having friends and fitting in and her friends in Dallas seem to have forgotten about her. But one night, she has to deal with her dream, because one of the people from her dream shows up in her bedroom and she's looking for a crown. June tries to make sense of all of this, the dream, Galatea (the girl looking for the crown, which she needs to save her kingdom AND get back to it) and Galatea's quest. And her best option is to pretend that she and Galatea are friends and that Galatea's visiting from Bulgaria. I don't really want to tell you more of the plot because it's so much fun watching this one play out. The characters are interesting and complicated and funny. The villains are scary and there's a really great part of the story line about finding your own gifts and being your own true self. I really liked this one a lot and I think middle graders are going to love it too. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkxhujfxUrXtanz6DZd9g4g-JKuTsBuqTRAFYH5hD4S6m0y5cNAO0DJLtFq7rmbWxZa52saOwVkUlTC1emzJ7Ru-OIOrpC-hSFRIvHcNpXBUsl4y7FGbrStVnhJuqAtixjtqeWHk88E8JnoTAihsAKnGkh6w6EHdL2GcaHsPUfaT0FZwEeFaiF9UDP0E/s500/juniper.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="344" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkxhujfxUrXtanz6DZd9g4g-JKuTsBuqTRAFYH5hD4S6m0y5cNAO0DJLtFq7rmbWxZa52saOwVkUlTC1emzJ7Ru-OIOrpC-hSFRIvHcNpXBUsl4y7FGbrStVnhJuqAtixjtqeWHk88E8JnoTAihsAKnGkh6w6EHdL2GcaHsPUfaT0FZwEeFaiF9UDP0E/s320/juniper.jpeg" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second one will come as a surprise to NO ONE who's been reading at all over the last five years. It's called Spirit Glass and it's written by the amazing Roshani Chokshi. Chokshi has written lots of other books for kids and grown ups, including Aru Shah and the End of Time. Spirit Glass is similar-a young girl is trying to come into her powers, but something is blocking and she ends up on an epic quest to save the ones she loves. Sound familiar? Yeah, to me too. I was completely prepared to not really like this one, until I met the incredibly amazing characters. Corazon, the main character, is the young babaylan or shaman trying to gain her powers. Except she's super sad because her parents died. Her mom was supposed to teach her to use her powers, but in her place, her sister, Corazon's aunt is meant to teach her. Her aunt, Tina, is not very approachable. Corazon has an anito, or an animal familiar. Her aunt's animal familiar is gigantic and intimidating eagle. Her mom's familiar was a gigantic 20 foot long blue python. Corazon's familiar is a bright blue gecko with purple spots, who believes he is a crocodile, named Samson, or Saso, who is absolutely hilarious. Like I had to put the book down because I was laughing so hard. Like if you're reading it on a plane, tears come to your eyes and people stare at you hard. Luckily, I was only reading it on my couch, so the only stares I got, were from my husband. Anyway, Corazon goes to the magical market with Tina one day and ends up having her magical amulet stolen by a ghost. The amulet allows Corazon to connect with her dead parents every week so it's pretty important to her. She also believes that once she comes into her powers, that she'll be able to bring her parents back to real life. So, when you're in trouble, where do you go? The library. Me too! The librarian advises Corazon that she needs to get two blessings from magical creatures in order to get the amulet back. On her quest, she gets a ghost guide, named Leo, who wants to be a writer. Did I mention that this story is based on Filipino folk lore? Filipino culture is such an amazing amalgamation of cultures- over 7000 islands, 150 languages, and all those people who thought they could conquer the Filipinos. As IF. There is so much to love in this book. There are scary confrontations with monsters of all shapes and sizes. There are big themes of love and friendship and making hard choices. When I checked her website, it turns out there is a sequel. YAY!!! I can't wait to hear more about these characters, because they are so much fun. I can't wait to put this one in the hands of some of my favorite readers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf__2r7wEvWXsG9Hn6b2T3SX3bbUi0QdXfukvLiflXgPmaam8ON3-WZAFqISVlqX7UtZIUfxE2utaPyq0p02UwBth5yyDR1KJS1hGocAtX_ZhMcWIqFF8vvyAKWGPGL4TzD9aTnNngaB5I4MnHexekuMeLycTaJoTrIwiu0LOkncr61_zPezpiZXQFJFE/s565/spirit%20glass.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="377" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf__2r7wEvWXsG9Hn6b2T3SX3bbUi0QdXfukvLiflXgPmaam8ON3-WZAFqISVlqX7UtZIUfxE2utaPyq0p02UwBth5yyDR1KJS1hGocAtX_ZhMcWIqFF8vvyAKWGPGL4TzD9aTnNngaB5I4MnHexekuMeLycTaJoTrIwiu0LOkncr61_zPezpiZXQFJFE/s320/spirit%20glass.jpeg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-90882158261076019352023-11-02T14:45:00.005-07:002023-11-02T14:45:59.013-07:00Magical middle grade mystery fiction November 2023<p> It may seem like this post is a little late, being two days PAST Halloween, but these magical titles are so great, you're not going to want to miss them! </p><p>The first one is the latest offering from two of my favorite authors-Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass. They co-wrote another book called "Bob" that remains one of my favorites, even though it was published five years ago. They are both masters at plot twists so I was super excited to read this one. It's told from a few different points of view, which at first is a little confusing. The first character's voice is Mortimer, a cat that lives in a library and rescues mice that have moved in there. He feels very guilty about something that happened (but readers don't find out what actually happened until almost the end of the story). The second storyteller is Evan, a boy who is just finishing fifth grade. He lives with his loving parents, his dad who is an exterminator that relocates mice rather than killing them and his mom, who does tech support by phone. The third storyteller is Al, an assistant librarian, who takes care of two other librarians, Ms. Scroggin and Mr. Brock. Without giving away TOO much of the plot (because it unfolds so beautifully), there's a big mystery afoot. Al creates a little lending library and Evan finds a book there that sets the whole plot in motion. It's impossible to tell you more without giving everything away, but suffice it to say that the story is wonderfully complicated with the characters weaving in and out of the storyline in a way that is most satisfactory. This one would be a wonderful book to use to teach the genre of mystery because there are so many complications to the plot and trying to pick out the clues as you are reading along would be great. It would also be a great one to talk about themes-themes of redemption, of family, of sorrow and regret, of completing tasks. I thought this one was great and I hope you do too!</p><p>Here's the cover. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8E4qn6d6i8iVlzCDpJ_sU7mkmt2npTIfFVkQeoSa4tUpWF_0ka-COsldFn3L8J3kZf4JLn7MspA9DhSOQqLHOWFymNkTeAhWROkCoa2wC9RrRi_z8BcUEfYZC4dgyJSdaobCOvbLtUrL-_UkxmwPPw40gdMUoBJmeLZJFDXAzHqV-jsyk6sfrnBHuaA/s423/lostlibrary.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8E4qn6d6i8iVlzCDpJ_sU7mkmt2npTIfFVkQeoSa4tUpWF_0ka-COsldFn3L8J3kZf4JLn7MspA9DhSOQqLHOWFymNkTeAhWROkCoa2wC9RrRi_z8BcUEfYZC4dgyJSdaobCOvbLtUrL-_UkxmwPPw40gdMUoBJmeLZJFDXAzHqV-jsyk6sfrnBHuaA/s320/lostlibrary.jpeg" width="227" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second one is called The Carrefour Curse by Dianne K. Salerni. I'd never read one of Salerni's books before, but I'm definitely going to look for them because this one was terrific. Garnet is part of the Carrefour family, a magical family from way back. Except she's never had any contact with any of the family, other than her mom, because her mom wants to keep her safe. Together they operate a small shop that sells enchanted stones and that's where their magic lies-in rocks. Garnet's mom talks to her sisters and that's how Garnet knows something is not quite right. Well, that and she's throwing up frogs. There is a fairly graphic description of what it's like to throw up frogs and I personally hope I never have to live through THAT. But to try to get her to STOP throwing up frogs, Garnet's mom is taking her to the family home, where Garnet will FINALLY get to meet her extended family. It turns out that Garnet's great grandfather, Jasper is dying (he has cancer) and everyone is waiting to see who will inherit the family estate. It seems obvious that it will go to the oldest son, Linden, as he is currently doing most of the clerical work, but there's something not quite right at the house. Things are falling apart in magical ways that no one can explain and there are dire warnings about where Garnet can and cannot go on the estate. Except some really weird things keep happening, like Garnet seems to have a new magical ability-the ability to walk through time and she ends up in meeting her mom as a teenager. She also meets a man claiming to be her dad, which can neither prove nor disprove because she's never met him and she doesn't want to tell her mom because her mom will be really mad. This is a really fun book to read with lots of scary danger and plot twists. There are more than enough villains to go around but the heroes are pretty terrific too. I thought the ending was a bit of a surprise (ok more than a bit) in the best possible way. This one would be a fun one to teach mysteries with as well. There are also themes of family connections, using your powers for good, connecting to the earth, and owning your mistakes. I thought this one was great too. I hope you like it! Here's the cover, which I'm not going to lie, totally creeped me out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDK28skceqr0EvuYfe5_BFfpsOAaMoQilb8SMFQWjp1RbiNoQHiqcXQcJe-jy4hFDkTy-IAmh8oFAH8iJL3ziMV8iV2EFzD5cazBERLKqamntIxPcpbXpM0euAJ4gBfBqZRlCF-081s7n0QuJYnsQVZKCISQZJgqDKrKw17EHjMxE2nTNKpFzm930UzM/s2136/carrefour.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDK28skceqr0EvuYfe5_BFfpsOAaMoQilb8SMFQWjp1RbiNoQHiqcXQcJe-jy4hFDkTy-IAmh8oFAH8iJL3ziMV8iV2EFzD5cazBERLKqamntIxPcpbXpM0euAJ4gBfBqZRlCF-081s7n0QuJYnsQVZKCISQZJgqDKrKw17EHjMxE2nTNKpFzm930UzM/s320/carrefour.jpeg" width="210" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And here's an interview with the author.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cQRtKBddfi0" width="320" youtube-src-id="cQRtKBddfi0"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-49243893626351563742023-10-26T03:52:00.000-07:002023-10-26T03:52:23.919-07:00Magical creatures in middle grade fiction<p> Reading for the CYBILS is so much fun. It's a little like standing in a firehose spray of children's literature but if you can get past feeling completely overwhelmed (that was earlier this week), it's a blast, because there are SO MANY great books. Well, not literally, because that would hurt. Okay, then! Let me tell you about my two new favorites. </p><p>Creatures of the In Between by Cindy Lin is an exciting adventure that starts in the middle of things, with an attack on Whisper Island, a haven for magical beasts. The Kingdom of the Three Realms is tied to the magical beasts and the leader of the Realm is meant to be bonded to a magical beast. The current leader is the Dowager Queen who's phoenix does her bidding. The Crown Prince is Jin, her 12 year old grandson, who has spent his entire life learning from books about magical creatures because, other than her phoenix, there are no other creatures in the kingdom. Jin really wants to bond with a magical creature and keeps pushing the boundaries of his grandmother's orders until finally he has to run away to Whisper Island. On Whisper Island, he finds out that the books aren't really accurate about the magical creatures and that he has a lot to learn. Luckily, there are three Whispers (people who can communicate with the magical creatures) still on the island. This is a really fun book to read. The descriptions of the magical creatures are clear enough that even if you have no background knowledge of them, you can visualize what they look like. Jin and the rest of the characters are well developed and such kind and interesting people, I was sorry to finish the book. There are big themes of building and earning trust, good versus evil, pushing back against rules that are unjust, and kindness. This is going to be a fun one to use as a read aloud because the kids are not going to let you stop reading! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyLnS1lBlVjadWOa0S8ZvSYNDHmfudI4mkDz9aTrfLg6UOeGuXh-x7at-ZN2lfGIU7ORQQ5F_9i-CB9qsPtYC71sPCKhTkb6C3mfhzpa-amfbKNnqerbSkAl52_NDNTPExYcpNeACUblgA-yhyphenhyphenCtlkYwkrTNIrl8WVVNuAm9LpLPSZWvH6hPee8HO7Yk/s2400/creatures.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1589" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyLnS1lBlVjadWOa0S8ZvSYNDHmfudI4mkDz9aTrfLg6UOeGuXh-x7at-ZN2lfGIU7ORQQ5F_9i-CB9qsPtYC71sPCKhTkb6C3mfhzpa-amfbKNnqerbSkAl52_NDNTPExYcpNeACUblgA-yhyphenhyphenCtlkYwkrTNIrl8WVVNuAm9LpLPSZWvH6hPee8HO7Yk/s320/creatures.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p>The second one is a really creepy ghost story. It's called the Bellwoods Game and it's written by Celia Krampien. It's about a town called Fall Hollow. It's kind of an ordinary town with mountains close by and a river that runs past it. In Fall Hollow, there is a forest that's called Bellwoods because there's a bell out in the woods. No one really knows why the bell is there but there's a game that the kids play on Halloween that's a dare-go into the woods and ring the bell. If you get caught by the ghost, you'll need a gift to to give and the ghost will let you go, no gift, and you'll end up dead. The parents of the town think this game is a bad idea, so the kids play in a highly guarded secret. The prologue of the story is one of the games and the main part of the story is another game, some time later. Bailee is a girl who is the center of the story. She's been ostracized by her friends because of an incident that happened last year and is unsure if she's even going to be a part of the game. Her grandmother has been unwell and Bailee worries about her a lot. But she goes to be part of the game and is selected as one of the three contestants to enter the woods. Also chosen is Fen, one of Bailee's former closest friends and Carmen, a smart girl that Bailee isn't really close to. As the three start the game, they are warned to stay together, which Fen dismisses out of hand. I'd like to tell you more of the plot, but part of what makes this story so deliciously creepy, is how it spins out. There are themes of betrayal and friendship and power in this page turning story. It would make a good read aloud, but I think the kids are going to snatch it out of the reader's hands so they can read more quickly! I know I couldn't put it down. </p><p>Here's the gorgeous cover.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArPMptzWvydmgRqSLOrmjGZBL1C4laZVouSuSbqtV-MPdTa5T8cDXYTxS4CCmK2yI609XZh1EkSsG4AD6AHRB3DMH6j3lI-A-2ohre5r_OIVluIG5gKmWvQtGdAtLxh_l2L14Mvxf9P4KpIpceAuOGCpgQ_6yIknX8UPYkdsa0PUBIHccyQh4bmxyoEs/s2072/bellwoods.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2072" data-original-width="1399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArPMptzWvydmgRqSLOrmjGZBL1C4laZVouSuSbqtV-MPdTa5T8cDXYTxS4CCmK2yI609XZh1EkSsG4AD6AHRB3DMH6j3lI-A-2ohre5r_OIVluIG5gKmWvQtGdAtLxh_l2L14Mvxf9P4KpIpceAuOGCpgQ_6yIknX8UPYkdsa0PUBIHccyQh4bmxyoEs/s320/bellwoods.jpeg" width="216" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Here's the author reading a little bit of the book.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HV3srJfEzUA" width="320" youtube-src-id="HV3srJfEzUA"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-35999539639082783932023-10-18T11:56:00.000-07:002023-10-18T11:56:22.715-07:00Reading for CYBILS 2023 - Middle Grade Speculative Fiction<p> One of the best parts (in my opinion) of reading for the CYBILS book award, is that, as a panelist, I'm asked to read as many of the middle grade speculative fiction books published in the last year as possible. Even better, if I blog about them. So we get a list of the books and are asked to read them. Invariably, there are some that I've already read and some that are really hard to get a hold of and some that are just terrible. And some of them are complete gems that I never would have read, had it not been for the list! That's the case today- my new favorites! Have a look!</p><p>The first one is an illustrated fairy tale, which we hardly ever get. Typically, picture books are a separate category, but this one, even though it is beautifully and lavishly illustrated by P. J. Lynch (one of my very favorite illustrators) is really not a picture book. The text is dense and complicated and rich, like a beautiful tapestry or a soaring opera. It's written by <a href="https://www.eoincolfer.com">Eion Colfer</a>, who has written lots of books, like Artemis Fowl, The Fowl Twins, and Highfire. This new one is called Three Tasks for a Dragon. It's based on two different Irish folktales. It opens with Lir, the prince, who is living with his step-mother and step-brother, his mother and father having died, and Lir isn't so interested in being the king, he was hoping to be the royal librarian. But his stepbrother, Delbayne, REALLY wants to be king and really wants Lir out of the way. Delbayne invokes an ancient law that would allow Lir to either live the kingdom and never come back (which Lir really doesn't want to do) OR go and rescue a maiden from a dragon (which he doesn't really want to do either, because he'd probably be eaten). So Lir decides to go and confront the dragon, except the dragon isn't really in that great of shape. His wing was broken, he's living in a damp cave, his fire has gone out, and the girl that Lir is supposed to rescue is actually a servant making cherry wine for the dragon. This is a really great story. The characters are interesting and well developed. The language of the story is complex and vivid. The plot is complicated with lots of plot twists. This would make a wonderful read aloud for an upper elementary or middle school class with lots of opportunities to make connections to other texts, to folklore from other cultures, to analyze these very interesting characters and see how they change through the story. But that's not all. The amazing P.J. Lynch illustrated this book. He's illustrated some of my very favorite fairy tales like Melisande by Edith Nesbit or Catkin by Antonia Barber. If you're unfamiliar with Mr. Lynch's work, I would say you've probably seen it and not realized it, because his work feels like the best possible traditional fairy tale art work. It's realistic in sort of an Italian Renaissance way. It reminds be a bit of N. C. Wyeth's work illustrating fairy tales and folktales. There's an illustration of Lir going deep into the dragon's cave about half way through the book that made me gasp. The art work is so vivid and so intricate and so emotionally drenched, I spent a lot of time looking at it! The art work is equally as complicated and rich as the text. I think those middle grade readers who think they are too big for picture books are going to absolutely love this one. I loved this one and I hope you will too. </p><p>Here's the gorgeous cover. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAQoJHvUCUTtBQ_rs5yUrMNUu2cxWDLbGPk-Kt_LOJFiyh1LOL0CIsSgEfktl5kgfZSNFqspmld9Lb36_ggBv8cCaZzvxcojEu6YNfXmsHV95MwcXkP4zaoAagaZdsD6cfbolNsrm3pw91lCgvQPYEEu5UfBZB3DbaRUqv1wG-Jfl9hQ0daX_CMU4KGI/s450/dragon.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="373" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAQoJHvUCUTtBQ_rs5yUrMNUu2cxWDLbGPk-Kt_LOJFiyh1LOL0CIsSgEfktl5kgfZSNFqspmld9Lb36_ggBv8cCaZzvxcojEu6YNfXmsHV95MwcXkP4zaoAagaZdsD6cfbolNsrm3pw91lCgvQPYEEu5UfBZB3DbaRUqv1wG-Jfl9hQ0daX_CMU4KGI/s320/dragon.jpeg" width="265" /></a></div><br /><p>And here's a short video about how long it takes Mr. Lynch to illustrate a picture book. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6iR-NPnpD9w" width="320" youtube-src-id="6iR-NPnpD9w"></iframe></div><br /><p>The second one is also by two of my favorite authors-Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko. Each of them has written a number of wonderful books (<a href="https://katherineapplegate.com">Applegate</a> is best known for The One and Only Ivan and the Animorphs series, just to name a few, <a href="https://m.gennifercholdenko.com">Choldenko</a> has written a series of books called the Tales from Alcatraz as well as picture books) and this new one called Dogtown is a whole new set of voices in their already crowded room. Dogtown is about a shelter for dogs who need homes. People have brought their dogs to the shelter for a number of reasons. Surprisingly, some of the dogs are robots and even the robots are looking for new homes. The story shifts perspectives at each chapter. Chance is really the main character and most common storyteller. Chance is a border collie mix who has been at the shelter for about a year. She has three legs instead of four because of an accident that she doesn't like to think about. Part of that story is how she ended up at the shelter. The other dogs in the shelter are also trying to find homes, including a robot dog called Metal Head that Chance doesn't really think much of to begin with, but it turns out Metal Head also has a story about how he came to be at the shelter that has a lot more emotion to it than you might think is possible with a robot. This is a story full of heart. There are parts that are heartbreakingly poignant and parts that are laugh out loud funny. This would be another wonderful read aloud to middle grade classes looking for opportunities to discuss big issues like the ethical treatment of animals, friendship and how someone might try to help a friend as well as thinking about writing techniques, like writing from multiple points of view and author's voice. I thought this one was great and I think the kids will like this one too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbimaWh8sUVoqO62z9zEWPI-9v2yprlb9Hg7Qxa1YjM_4vq-SPeWg0JOPclokmflY70SCK9Xty5ujt19SBcihXVrERckRX0AeBuwdqcwmcfCrePYNmaSL6-YRuuQoxgfqlAnepaWDJmDHPuAov9QqrLSpbr-mEjWr4eZjAbNpyU7vTqYP_Z0I2tyzoL0/s350/dogtown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="226" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbimaWh8sUVoqO62z9zEWPI-9v2yprlb9Hg7Qxa1YjM_4vq-SPeWg0JOPclokmflY70SCK9Xty5ujt19SBcihXVrERckRX0AeBuwdqcwmcfCrePYNmaSL6-YRuuQoxgfqlAnepaWDJmDHPuAov9QqrLSpbr-mEjWr4eZjAbNpyU7vTqYP_Z0I2tyzoL0/s320/dogtown.jpeg" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-41787576431755492162023-10-05T22:32:00.004-07:002023-10-05T22:36:03.627-07:00New Middle Grade Speculative Fiction<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span>There have been SO MANY middle grade fiction books coming out this month.</span><span> </span><span>I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up!</span><span> </span><span>But so far so good!</span><span> </span><span>Here are two of my newest favorites.</span></span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Nell of Gumbling is a fun new fairy tale/graphic novel/mystery/friendship story. I’m pretty sure there’s not a specific genre for this one, but it was a very fun read. It's written and illustrated by Emma Steinkellner, who also wrote and illustrated the adorable "The Okay Witch" , <a href="https://imtanner.blogspot.com/2019/09/really-great-new-adventure-books.html">which I blogged about here</a>. This new one is about Nell, or Lenore, who lives in a place called Gumbling. There was a king there once, but when a witch threatened to eat him, he relinquished his throne and the city has been run by a council ever since. She lives with her two dads, who are star farmers and her two younger siblings, Rib and Schmitty. She has two best friends, Gil, who is a Thumbkin and Myra, who is a fairy. Nell has started a journal because she’s super excited to start her internship. It’s a town tradition for middle schoolers to intern with someone in the town to give them ideas about what kinds of jobs they’ll want when they grow up. Nell REALLY wants to apprentice with the town artist, but she ends up with the Lorekeeper - a kind of town librarian. Nell can’t imagine anything more boring and ends up doing tasks like cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, and copying manuscripts. Over winter break she has a wonderful time with her friends but two new people turn up. They say they are descendants of the former king and want to turn Gumbling into a tourist destination. Town reaction is mixed but mostly negative. When the new descendants start threatening people (like Nell’s dads) things get serious. The kids decide it’s up to them to make sure these descendants go somewhere else. This is a fun book to read with themes of friendship and how you get to know people and how you get to know yourself. Ultimately, Nell finds a way to express her own talents in ways that no ever really considered before and what a wonderful message to readers. I liked this one a lot. I think the combination of this highly relatable character and her talents for drawing and writing are going to make this one a big hit with readers.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> </span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfu7t-BqJII98loeg2QCejirb4-LbZ5VQnsP4E7XZQivgBbjKJEFtn5ZxM1XgdqZW67tp-oqxy9TbluEemx_3tnOzjG619uxK6Ayy-zaaihb0VVD3MGyIJkIfs2LJ6CyTDFcofGGlbJKQzkMe1wrVz91aso3BnHERXsEG7BUDQPFyhm6rDknqoQI8-HXw/s1000/nell.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfu7t-BqJII98loeg2QCejirb4-LbZ5VQnsP4E7XZQivgBbjKJEFtn5ZxM1XgdqZW67tp-oqxy9TbluEemx_3tnOzjG619uxK6Ayy-zaaihb0VVD3MGyIJkIfs2LJ6CyTDFcofGGlbJKQzkMe1wrVz91aso3BnHERXsEG7BUDQPFyhm6rDknqoQI8-HXw/s320/nell.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The second one is called The Mossheart’s Promise by Rebecca Nix. This one is a dystopian future fairy story but not a fairy tale, I don’t think. It starts with a gardener, who creates a terrarium to protect fairies and their magic. The prologue only says that it’s not safe for the fairies and the gardener, above all, wants to protect the fairies. However, the terrarium and the gardener’s magic is only meant to last 100 years and after 100 years, the seed the gardener gives them must be planted to break them out of this safe place and allow them to come back to the world. Except that after 100 years, the fairy guard didn’t want to break out and throws the seed far away and the flower blooms and dies without releasing the fairies. As the magic ebbs, the fairies have to come up with ways to save their safe place and stories are told and heroes are created without actually understanding their place in the world. And then one day, it looks like all is lost, the mold is taking over and even the sacrifice of the fairy wings is no longer enough. One little fairy decides to go on an epic quest to save her family, and hopefully the rest of the fair world. This is an exciting mystery story. At first it’s a little tricky to figure out where it’s going-the path is complicated and full of danger. There is help from surprising places along the way. There are also betrayals and learning the story of the betrayals is exciting and suspenseful. There are themes of love and friendship, of doing the right thing even if it’s painful, of what being a hero really means. I thought this was terrific and I think the mystery lovers and maybe the fairy tale fans are going to love this one too.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfR7pRbmcYDcxJPePmuY04QXnARxQgG6LIqA2g9dv5DqGhU7ofAj0QVbdx-sP7wr6Vy7KHqKpu444mWJfa874TjYM75AvGB_GtXdz3aU5ReXWajNIRi7pMMXG7l2y0mMkVGS0853_x7930Wf1dAX8oNVanVb9qhohiHILgjKxmejhLS2B9JvKQao_fdM/s1000/mossheart.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="662" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfR7pRbmcYDcxJPePmuY04QXnARxQgG6LIqA2g9dv5DqGhU7ofAj0QVbdx-sP7wr6Vy7KHqKpu444mWJfa874TjYM75AvGB_GtXdz3aU5ReXWajNIRi7pMMXG7l2y0mMkVGS0853_x7930Wf1dAX8oNVanVb9qhohiHILgjKxmejhLS2B9JvKQao_fdM/s320/mossheart.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-46864956081835743762023-10-03T03:30:00.001-07:002023-10-03T03:30:27.993-07:00SSYRA 3-5<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So here's a project I've been working on for awhile. You know how much I love middle grade fiction and this has been something I've been wanting to do and now, YAY! I have time! This is a set of comprehension questions for all 15 books for the SSYRA 3-5 list for 23-24. This year's titles include:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Area 51 Files by Julie Buxbaum</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bedhead Ted by Scott Giacomo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Better with Butter by Victoria Piontek</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Curse on Spectacle Key by Chantel Acevedo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Glitch by Laura Martin</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Good Dogs on a Bad Day by Rachel Wenitsky</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Honestly Elliott by Gillian Dunn</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Haunted Mustache by Joe McGee</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Odder by Katherine Applegate</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Raven Heir by Stephanie Burgis</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Secondhand Dogs by Caroline Crimi</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Solimar by Pam Munoz Ryan</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Strangeville School is Totally Normal by Darcy Miller</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stuck by Jennifer Swender</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It includes an answer key and summaries of all the books. They are available as a set of all 15 as a Google Doc and I'm working right now on separating them into single title files as PDFs, just in case Google is mean to you. You can click on the image to send you to the TeachersPayTeacher page. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Comprehension-Questions-for-the-SSYRA-3-5-for-23-24-10275427" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinfp4PLyLMZt9T4l9GhVHTR9Agwrn7pm4KnAqYWjMWTPh8yKD-Ce2ynztkRvP_uvizEFhY0EUanh2Am5J9YwRAAEGCLqGoADbAROkR4ngT10Kx4pVd-psbqdGxvczV5ZaCBt2qiJtMsnm8AYT4HKHi9woOKLQIXgH3zRq-ygoNaY2_ETmFkVPMcSPpLI/s320/SSYRA%203-5%20cover.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-17588805006286456712023-09-03T12:46:00.000-07:002023-09-03T12:46:07.164-07:00In our garden activities<p> Do you need a great new book for a read aloud? What about one that has wonderful connections to gardening and growing things, vegetables, team work and becoming a part of a new community? Then 'In our Garden" written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Melissa Crowton is just the book you're looking for! My new activity pack has Montessori language activities with vegetable three part cards and a compound word train with words from the story.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49v66UVceWJPxYO4x-joeNMIsXaabneCZUmfGuzz-WY-9cT9UEuhTFOu82fM5x_CrYUV8iDgMI03ugaKUBUlO4toRkJ9UWlTGv3B2zp2mb_Vgre2xCTV_rb7el5G-vwlDgYlFjcSr3xft9LFp9t_OOFwgIZMcmsxcYstEmL-cVwjAP87_-GG1MULKIeE/s1326/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-03%20at%203.02.34%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1326" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49v66UVceWJPxYO4x-joeNMIsXaabneCZUmfGuzz-WY-9cT9UEuhTFOu82fM5x_CrYUV8iDgMI03ugaKUBUlO4toRkJ9UWlTGv3B2zp2mb_Vgre2xCTV_rb7el5G-vwlDgYlFjcSr3xft9LFp9t_OOFwgIZMcmsxcYstEmL-cVwjAP87_-GG1MULKIeE/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-03%20at%203.02.34%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYkcUPKtDbhExBb4tr12JL6lU-PSmPQtMcVPODRmY95Q0fzh-DqM1ewITN4TGdVDp5dGmohvhsRzm_Y2J_m_c8qgQNQR2vXxB8Tezgh_5Kh-ztzYL1HyOoHx3tpCQ5cYi-joFr3GCdta_ZY0ZoQZ0pqMuxl2x8p5c1GpsYUUKMBDk_fHzS2iYELKCSH0/s1356/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-03%20at%203.02.50%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1356" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYkcUPKtDbhExBb4tr12JL6lU-PSmPQtMcVPODRmY95Q0fzh-DqM1ewITN4TGdVDp5dGmohvhsRzm_Y2J_m_c8qgQNQR2vXxB8Tezgh_5Kh-ztzYL1HyOoHx3tpCQ5cYi-joFr3GCdta_ZY0ZoQZ0pqMuxl2x8p5c1GpsYUUKMBDk_fHzS2iYELKCSH0/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-03%20at%203.02.50%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are also comprehension activities-there's a cause and effect printable and a printable retelling frame. There are science activities and math activities, there's so much there! Click on the book cover and it will take you to Teachers Pay Teachers page! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/In-Our-Garden-by-Pat-Zietlow-Miller-activity-pack-10119641/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDXftSY074yC6W9VEDD_Y-aEDUZ12THibp0w66qnoXktBXvtrotZjpe5oY8yTvU1cn0DSjqIcTjD6K8gjD_WtXVUOeK1rVXrUfFvXkYMVaMP4eRkpAIv4Y-a2ft6lzSNAX4G0Lku5NGypY0Ygz3XxZgxg0u1c2DclmJfBmDpWXge0WvXDZq4Z6X7Rahc/s1200/In%20our%20garden%20cover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="931" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDXftSY074yC6W9VEDD_Y-aEDUZ12THibp0w66qnoXktBXvtrotZjpe5oY8yTvU1cn0DSjqIcTjD6K8gjD_WtXVUOeK1rVXrUfFvXkYMVaMP4eRkpAIv4Y-a2ft6lzSNAX4G0Lku5NGypY0Ygz3XxZgxg0u1c2DclmJfBmDpWXge0WvXDZq4Z6X7Rahc/s320/In%20our%20garden%20cover.jpeg" width="248" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-48933739849592152022023-08-29T18:50:00.001-07:002023-08-29T18:50:30.786-07:00Sparkly brand new speculative fiction for middle graders!<p> I've been waiting and waiting to get to this part of my TBR pile-I have this HUGE stack of books that are being published in the next few weeks and I'm so excited to get to read them! These were DEFINITELY worth the wait!</p><p>The first one is called Nimbus by Jan Eldredge. The main character is Nimbus, Nim for short, an 11 month old black cat, who lives with a boy named Fletcher. They live with Fletcher's aunt because Fletcher's dad is working so much. Fletcher doesn't mind living with his aunt, but Aunt Connie is not a big fan of Nim but Fletcher rescued Nim when she was a really small kitten and had been hit by a car. He took very good care of her and they are tightly bonded. One night, Fletcher finds an old jar and tries to open it. It turns out what's in the jar is REALLY bad-it's a nightmare demon and it's trying to suck out Fletcher's life essence. Nim attacks the demon and thinks she's destroyed it, but she's also been badly injured in the process. Aunt Connie sees the end of the attack and thinks that Nim is trying to hurt Fletcher, so she puts Nim in a box and takes the box to the dump. Lucky for Nim, she's discovered by a super friendly rat who suggests that she goes to the human's house. It turns out the human is a witch and there are several other cats there. The witch is looking for her familiar and is hoping that it's Nim. Nim hopes it's not because she really wants to get back to Fletcher. There are some very creepy parts and I think that's one of the reasons kids will love this one. There are also some great parts about past lives and dreams and the ethical treatment of animals that will spark the imagination of some kids. The writing is compelling and characters are really interesting and well drawn. I thought this one was terrific! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_RQsHtM24SDG28oJ0E8x2_x-kMr4fOXcDK2Z_EwPrcOGjwY4qpG4m-ACFLUzTqCYhnebzjgLz43b5qxpd682kZpF-oDhihW1x6kiowf-DZue1GtSPfX4KRitHJvZt9GZb_DSvZs8wA4fwjtUMo84jkizXn_UJY4qa-JbXCSx0cmjNsD7hMPmzPmgvGA/s488/nimbus.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="488" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_RQsHtM24SDG28oJ0E8x2_x-kMr4fOXcDK2Z_EwPrcOGjwY4qpG4m-ACFLUzTqCYhnebzjgLz43b5qxpd682kZpF-oDhihW1x6kiowf-DZue1GtSPfX4KRitHJvZt9GZb_DSvZs8wA4fwjtUMo84jkizXn_UJY4qa-JbXCSx0cmjNsD7hMPmzPmgvGA/s320/nimbus.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p>The second one is just as terrific, or maybe more so. I totally couldn't put it down! It's called The Dark Lord's Daughter and it's written by Patricia C. Wrede. This is the first one her books that I've read, but after this one, I can't wait to read more! It has this really great premise-what if you were at the fair with your family (your incredibly annoying little brother and your loving adoptive mom) when a guy in a super creepy costume comes up to you and says you need to come with him right away because you are the Dark Lord's daughter and you need to come and claim your rightful place in the kingdom. Like many of us, the main character, Kayla says "um, NO". And then somehow, she and her mom and her brother end up transported to another realm, where she is the heir apparent to the Dark Lord's throne, about which she has no idea. Their guide, Waylan, the second commander of the Dark Hordes of Zaradwin, is bound to take Kayla to the castle, where she will take the throne. They've been waiting 10 years for her, because that's how long it's been since the Dark Lord (her dad) died. The things Kayla and her family have carried with them to the fair have come through to the magical realm changed-her mom's ibuprofen has turned into a magical cure for practically everything, her mom's cell phone has turned into a message mouse and Kayla's brand new tablet has turned into a winged familiar that can answer virtually every question they have. But things are scary-there's a skull that acts as a guard to the castle, the Dark Lord (or Lady) is basically expected to be completely ruthless-curse or kill enemies, steal what they need, attack neighboring communities, use their families as pawns to get what they want, which is more power. Kayla's enjoying the power, but not really digging the ruthless part. She makes friends with people that others see as rivals, she notices strengths that others view as weaknesses AND she comes up with some truly genius problem solving strategies that turn the whole Dark Lady role on its ear. The characters are interesting and well developed and Kayla is such a likable character. This was a really fun read. It's going to be a great one for kids who like magic and things that are kind of scary. I think they're going to love this one.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdE-PAIryvUL7juC8FBbRu_DuxHoV9LZ4UkjL3FKotx1RasBK295lrSrSFxSTK0csJBmEeei_RXJPLJJTsFFE6JI5xTRpSfGnyDf3dtdtWCui64AjYJRLTCazFdREp2yL8BlzIJwbhQpNmcUO4vj2fL8Vl84JIzKX29oAJMaunLtHRoqQjxpDsbGP_sk/s1000/darklord.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="662" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdE-PAIryvUL7juC8FBbRu_DuxHoV9LZ4UkjL3FKotx1RasBK295lrSrSFxSTK0csJBmEeei_RXJPLJJTsFFE6JI5xTRpSfGnyDf3dtdtWCui64AjYJRLTCazFdREp2yL8BlzIJwbhQpNmcUO4vj2fL8Vl84JIzKX29oAJMaunLtHRoqQjxpDsbGP_sk/s320/darklord.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-83320085040773351322023-08-11T12:49:00.001-07:002023-08-11T12:49:18.236-07:00A new adventure!<p> I'm pretty excited about some big changes here at my house. My husband and I both decided to retire at the end of the school year and we've spent most of the summer traveling (not quite finished with THAT but since we're retired, it gets to be an ongoing thing, YAY!). Also, being 'she of the short attention span', I had some ideas about things I wanted to be able to do once I retired, so here's the latest new thing-in addition to doing book reviews, I'm also writing lesson plans! I started with the Sunshine State Young Reader Award Jr. books (because I'm pretty familiar with them and they are some amazing new books!) and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Book-Search">they are now available on Teachers Pay Teachers</a>! I've created packets with librarians and classroom teachers in Florida in mind, so they're vetted by a certified school librarian (that's me!), they are tied to the Florida state curriculum (BEST standards, but handily, this also links them to other curricula), there are ideas for research projects, mini lessons, as well as having printable activities in case that feels like a good idea. All of these are things I would have used with my own students, had I not retired. </p><p>Here's an example of one of them- Bug on the Rug by Sophia Gholz. This is the cover. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bug-on-the-Rug-by-Sophia-Gholz-story-activities-for-classrooms-or-libraries-9987760" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2559" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPSwM3WarsL8kEo9NY4_aQVakq5NCx8E7FDAJdD2c9QWX6fWPDLxGF6vHE1gpzn6yNyGngr05rHKQHSdRo6rMWgADukP8Ln9Rygkr1ozvcowdfPUc1TK3z03EOHZjBIXdQMU0WG21IZu7USddmp7q-uKK66DXzOz2ryil4TpULvrit-NfmYIGBnTUku4/s320/Bug%20on%20a%20Rug%20cover-1.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are some previews of some of the printables. There are story frames for retelling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4rzWtoMlGKF7jUMc9jxmun7Sd2ckhjZXQRoNsRkHeN0GmtKnSlbzLqVH2FMVbbNc8rdscKbWuw93d2rdgIO_RLQeocifQuDME7ghrRtdKhm8ylnIY-EXGfhhlfwH3Y8Dzd_Q-Dmylottv7H5AcARSoVLw2lPAQpWWbrTHgT37Tqi2f6EoP6ERNEwHaM/s1098/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-10%20at%2012.08.19%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="1098" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4rzWtoMlGKF7jUMc9jxmun7Sd2ckhjZXQRoNsRkHeN0GmtKnSlbzLqVH2FMVbbNc8rdscKbWuw93d2rdgIO_RLQeocifQuDME7ghrRtdKhm8ylnIY-EXGfhhlfwH3Y8Dzd_Q-Dmylottv7H5AcARSoVLw2lPAQpWWbrTHgT37Tqi2f6EoP6ERNEwHaM/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-10%20at%2012.08.19%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For this book, which has a rhyming text, there are three different rhyming word activities on different levels. This one is a matching activity with predictable words.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0kAom-Q6WEGZC65hL7ZTt0JLBxkraU-niEQWAIvbcdOM9tvOYGvlhrZpvoQjjqAskVn7se6Le004CRunm1RGlXSLIBbxMC2y7BN1SI0eV1pXeHDFj1i-LgYMUbJSmELHHFYb4AuCX4-A9sSRKTc_rELl5gCf1bKLDcFCcDXvETAzKm3wDl3yi6x3cKM/s1330/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-10%20at%2012.08.30%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1330" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0kAom-Q6WEGZC65hL7ZTt0JLBxkraU-niEQWAIvbcdOM9tvOYGvlhrZpvoQjjqAskVn7se6Le004CRunm1RGlXSLIBbxMC2y7BN1SI0eV1pXeHDFj1i-LgYMUbJSmELHHFYb4AuCX4-A9sSRKTc_rELl5gCf1bKLDcFCcDXvETAzKm3wDl3yi6x3cKM/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-10%20at%2012.08.30%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This one is a little book that you can print out and have the kids read.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDbmuDzIKRHn2T4DTDAg_Lq_emegHZxnEC-IKtu-c7CiIVh2Jx_QmwmSH8k_NOLxm_ZVOampUawsn0UMtuH4OuAZo5XAVKg8FIUpVonGZFWHQP89B7z0_KdyHD0H1wLEZySY9Ed4yFaOav2o1Ivrs2OpZQrcoLUJv9q8ZoUa6IfTTHHrqN1Ya7C1wfFg/s1374/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-10%20at%2012.08.45%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="1374" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDbmuDzIKRHn2T4DTDAg_Lq_emegHZxnEC-IKtu-c7CiIVh2Jx_QmwmSH8k_NOLxm_ZVOampUawsn0UMtuH4OuAZo5XAVKg8FIUpVonGZFWHQP89B7z0_KdyHD0H1wLEZySY9Ed4yFaOav2o1Ivrs2OpZQrcoLUJv9q8ZoUa6IfTTHHrqN1Ya7C1wfFg/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-10%20at%2012.08.45%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If this looks useful, can you please go to <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Book-Search">my Teachers Pay Teachers store and follow me</a>? I would appreciate it very much! </div><br /><p></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-75114703223530239882023-07-04T09:08:00.000-07:002023-07-04T09:08:31.817-07:00What's new in middle grade realistic fiction? Check these out!<p> I'm playing catch up on blog posts because while we were away I was reading madly but we often had kind of sketchy internet connections AND there was more wine involved than usual (it was France, what can I say?). Anyway, here are two new realistic fiction books you should definitely look for.</p><p><br /></p><p>The first one is by a favorite author, Gary D. Schmidt. He's written some of my perennial favorites-The Wednesday Wars, Orbiting Jupiter, Okay for Now... there are lots more and he has such a gift with voice! His characters always ring so true and that's exactly how this new one is. It's called The Labors of Hercules Beal and it's so great. It's about Hercules, who at 12 is dealing with a big loss-his parents were killed in a car accident and his brother has come home to run the family business, a nursery on Cape Cod. When school starts, Hercules is given an assignment by his 6th grade social studies/language arts teacher, Lt. Colonel Hupfer. The assignment is a Classical Mythology Application Project (I kind of love this idea!) Hercules is meant to consider each of the 12 Labors of Hercules and how they might look in today's world. And so the story begins. Hercules Beal finds out that the first labor of the mythical Hercules was a task to help him overcome the grief from losing his family. Since Hercules Beal is dealing with that same grief, it feels like a good place to start! Hercules Beal gives a modern retelling of the first labor (which, if you don't know this part of classical literature, like I didn't), is all about Hercules killing the Lion which had been terrorizing the Nemeans. Hercules Beal finds a group of feral cats that are living in an abandoned house and figures out a way to deal with them. Get the idea? The whole book is like that, with completely ordinary modern events, but drawing connections to this historical piece of literature. It's brilliant! On top of it, Gary Schmidt has created the most amazing characters that anyone would love spending time with. I was totally bereft when I finished the book because I couldn't hang out with this awesome crew anymore. This would be a wonderful book to use in middle school or high school literature classes to help kids draw connections between classical literature and modern literature or even modern events but it's also just a really great read. Don't miss this one!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixf8947Uq20rpOfHtxmMqiobve2M30fAsGNszaIoQrZEqhY1lzxuwL27b8X2ws8gU7b_1bu-lfcWPibsj715Mjx0zSXaCBQWzF6jeoNRJq0efMhCYVgcMMh_1QusWtGsFU8uHsuY0qEVPxnVwmpCfdE3U-JcMM2N96rFc_0I6JktHgsjZ8H6tPjnk3HKg/s2400/labors.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1584" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixf8947Uq20rpOfHtxmMqiobve2M30fAsGNszaIoQrZEqhY1lzxuwL27b8X2ws8gU7b_1bu-lfcWPibsj715Mjx0zSXaCBQWzF6jeoNRJq0efMhCYVgcMMh_1QusWtGsFU8uHsuY0qEVPxnVwmpCfdE3U-JcMM2N96rFc_0I6JktHgsjZ8H6tPjnk3HKg/s320/labors.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The second one is called The Fire, The Water and Maudie McGinn. It's written by Sally J. Pla. You might remember one of my favorites called The Someday Birds. Anyway, this new one is terrific! It's all about Maudie, who lives with her mom and stepdad during the school year and her dad in the summer. Maudie is neurodivergent (she's autistic) and her mom has spent a lot of time and energy trying to get Maudie to be more normal. Maudie sometimes gets really overwhelmed with too much input (too much noise, too many people) and has big meltdowns, but now as a teenager, she's getting a better handle on it and she really loves spending time with her dad. She's looking forward to being out in his cabin, helping him build things, but a wildfire comes through and they have to leave. Maudie and her dad end up staying in an old trailer that an old friend agrees they can use until they can figure out what comes next. It's not really very nice (especially compared to the luxury condo with her mom and stepdad) but they are close to the beach and Maudie loves to swim. One more morning, Maudie is out on the beach and notices a woman surfing. Maudie really wants to learn how to surf and eventually works up the courage to ask the woman to teach her how. Maudie also makes friends with a girl, Paddi and her big dog Leonard. Paddi has ADHD and Paddi's mom runs a school for kids who are neurodivergent. Maudie hears about a contest for new surfers, with a $1000 prize and decides she wants to try to win the contest to help her dad get back on his feet financially. It also turns out that Maudie has a secret that her mom has asked/demanded that she keep, which Maudie hints about as story unfolds, but comes blaring out in the forefront, right at the end of the story. This is one of my new favorite books. I loved Maudie's character. I loved how she explained what it's like to be overwhelmed by stimuli and draws connections to how lots of people cope with that overload, both well and badly. I loved how Maudie explained how some of the therapy that her mom took her too felt like punishment but she kept going to try to be the person her mom wanted her to be. I love how Maudie found her own path and her own family through surfing and through the community her dad was a part of. Ultimately, this is such a hopeful story-hope that people will find their own voice, hope that people will find a community that supports and loves them for who they are, hope that people can find something that they are passionate about and good at and want to get better at. In other words, the best possible kind of story. I was sad to finish this one too! But so excited to think about others getting to meet Maudie and her crew. Don't miss this one either!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCLCulKvdUToBkaEaYCxWIOL8oexpTYmWPiUKMzUP8sucRbDxz2kcNW2BM6KFHJchHAa8Dx5GLQGMylhF6wWiRBscYqvhBt-G6JfOK0fSRNyk2xn71pCU-MPrDCL8qB50Fo2t7E_b4UGhOUpAR0Hfa6XHk6p9jbOYgBLkdxcyfX73ymm-kf_rsm19y7o/s488/maudie.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="488" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCLCulKvdUToBkaEaYCxWIOL8oexpTYmWPiUKMzUP8sucRbDxz2kcNW2BM6KFHJchHAa8Dx5GLQGMylhF6wWiRBscYqvhBt-G6JfOK0fSRNyk2xn71pCU-MPrDCL8qB50Fo2t7E_b4UGhOUpAR0Hfa6XHk6p9jbOYgBLkdxcyfX73ymm-kf_rsm19y7o/s320/maudie.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And here's an interview with Sally about the book!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lynHeWOd6GY" width="320" youtube-src-id="lynHeWOd6GY"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-4737366672980945662023-07-02T10:11:00.004-07:002023-07-02T10:11:39.722-07:00The latest speculative middle grade fiction<p> We've been traveling and in my opinion, long plane rides plus great books equal a really great trip. These two brand new titles were great to have a long to keep the plane ride from getting boring! </p><p>The first one is called The International House of Dereliction. It's written by Jacqueline Davies who wrote a series of books that started with The Lemonade Wars about a brother and sister who have a disagreement and decide to solve the problem by raising money through a lemonade stand. It was a very popular series in my elementary school library, but this one goes in a really different direction. This one is about Alice, who lives with her very loving parents. Her mom is a professor and her dad is a building inspector and loves to fix things. Their family history is long and well documented and Alice, who is home schooled, has strengths from both sides of the family. They move often because they do such a good job fixing up the properties that the college gives them, that the college is able to sell them for a lot more money after they've lived there, so when the family is asked to move AGAIN, they decide NOT to fix anything, which is hard! But it turns out, the house next door is abandoned and ready to be torn down, so Alice decides to go over there and see if there's anything she can fix. It turns out that there are ghosts living in the house and the ghosts proceed to school Alice in the after life-there are Past Dues, Settled Ones, Wanderers, and Captives. Each different kind of ghost has a different job to do before they can move on. The ghosts in this house are also ruled by the House, which can make things happen if it's unhappy. Alice works very hard to try to help each of the ghosts and each one has an interesting story and an interesting solution. I really liked this story. The characters were quirky and some were almost cartoonish, but in a good way. The solutions to each ghost's story were compelling and because they were each from different historical time periods, it was fun to see how Alice solved their mysteries by doing research and talking to different people who worked at her mother's college. This is a not too scary ghost story and I think kids are going to like this one a lot. It would be a fun one to use to talk about the importance of careful research as well as comparing and contrasting different time periods in history. Don't miss it!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJf6p3iZWbW780KvckTbw32xxC41gsCfGMu_70cQlqCOXIHWRtgN9jwG58gx8dGgnqmMu51-eqfaRHM_URfigyxyyqhmBAWhvu8uMF0lfboz96YsC01Nr3CK_JgvkpyyHvgX0cplKzpgW8M1GqndxkxnTdOTx5J_3u5b3cuzwLKISTqP4yhNMFTEl5btk/s276/houseofdereliction.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="183" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJf6p3iZWbW780KvckTbw32xxC41gsCfGMu_70cQlqCOXIHWRtgN9jwG58gx8dGgnqmMu51-eqfaRHM_URfigyxyyqhmBAWhvu8uMF0lfboz96YsC01Nr3CK_JgvkpyyHvgX0cplKzpgW8M1GqndxkxnTdOTx5J_3u5b3cuzwLKISTqP4yhNMFTEl5btk/s1600/houseofdereliction.jpeg" width="183" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second one is called The Hunt for the Hollower. It's written by Callie C. Miller. If you <a href="https://www.calliecmiller.com" target="_blank">check out her website,</a> you'll see Callie's been super busy on lots of different kinds of projects, but this is her first book. The Hunt for the Hollower is about Merlynda and Percy, who are twins. They are descendants of Merlyn the Magician, and it's believes that ONE of them is going to be the Septimum Genus-a super magician. Everyone is sure it will be Percy because Merlynda struggles with even the simplest of magic and Percy often has to clean up after her. Merlynda has a best friend named Neci. Neci's parents own a successful root vegetable business and are expecting Neci to follow in their footsteps, but Neci REALLY wants to be a knight. Merlynda and Percy's parents decide to go on an extended trip to study and give lectures on magic, they invite Uncle William to come and supervise the twins. The twins have their own ideas about what they're going to do-not sit and study and read like their parents told them, but summon an elemental stone, a super powerful piece of magic, to try to get Merlynda's magic under better control. Would you be surprised to hear that things don't go exactly the way the twins think it will? Not me either! But what does happen is that Merlynda summons her familiar (a magical animal assistant) and is told that SHE is going to be the Septimum Genus, which everyone thinks is a big mistake. Percy disappears through a portal and Merlynda is off on a quest to save him. OF COURSE, she needs her knight, Neci, by her side and together they try to figure out how get Percy back. This is a super fun ride. The dangers the pair face together are formidable and surprising. Some of it is scary and some of it is hilarious but all of it centers around Merlynda being able to harness her own power, in spite of years of hearing and feeling like she's inadequate. Kids who like magical mysteries are going to love this one. It would also be a great one for comparing to other adaptations of traditional stories, like the Rick Riordan books. Don't miss this one either!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Check out this gorgeous cover! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7VCixArQmWa65A_11VjwgKcsAImLgUkdSeX5pxM4VZWM79MoasKL5mmd9Uw9ijLsiZbAi1lKCPJSitMm5clp-hfOl4mk43QdFxy7q3NquuDWJK1lWPrpPawGHc4PYxf4vLPp71C92Y5ESS_SJMG-98rbfTM2Zw979lviZ0vLP7ApJz_foDgO6aV0vSM/s1280/hollower.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7VCixArQmWa65A_11VjwgKcsAImLgUkdSeX5pxM4VZWM79MoasKL5mmd9Uw9ijLsiZbAi1lKCPJSitMm5clp-hfOl4mk43QdFxy7q3NquuDWJK1lWPrpPawGHc4PYxf4vLPp71C92Y5ESS_SJMG-98rbfTM2Zw979lviZ0vLP7ApJz_foDgO6aV0vSM/s320/hollower.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p>Here she is reading an excerpt! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mtpgR9iXHgY" width="320" youtube-src-id="mtpgR9iXHgY"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-37389912200233602812023-06-20T22:44:00.003-07:002023-06-20T22:44:55.427-07:00Realistic middle grade fiction to look for! 2023<p> The publishers seem to be trying to play catch up after COVID. There are SO MANY new books coming out, it can feel overwhelming to see my TBR pile. Or maybe I'm just too greedy! Anyway, here are some that are coming out soon.</p><p>The first one is called When Giants Burn by Beth Vrabel. Beth has a real gift for telling stories about interesting characters - two of my former favorites are Blind Guide to Stinkville and The Newspaper Club, if you missed them. This new one is no exception. It's told in two voices-Gerty and Hayes. Both are being seen by the school counselor for interpersonal issues. Gerty's family are survivalists and are doing their best to be independent from government influences. Hayes lives with his grandmother, his younger brother and his mom, who has recently been released from jail. Neither of the kids feel like they have any friends and so find some connection to the other. Gerty is trying to build an ultralight airplane so that she can fly away, anywhere. She feels trapped by her parents, particularly her dad and spends a lot of time trying to figure out different ways to connect to her parents. Hayes is really angry at his mom for the choices that led her to jail, but ultimately, blames himself for her imprisonment. The adults in the story are really interesting too-Gerty's highly controlling grandmother who is helping her to build the ultralight, her highly controlling but passive aggressive dad, her mom who seems stuck between the two of them. Hayes' family is interesting too, his supportive and loving grandmother, his mom who's trying to find her way back to the family and into a professional role as well. I don't want to spoil anything because the way the story unfolds is so lovely, but suffice it to say, both kids made questionable decisions and end up places they never imagined. Each of them supports the other in ways they never imagined and they end up being able to connect with their own families in ways they each thought were impossible. Both kids blame themselves for things that they have no control over and finding a way to heal from that is big. This is book about dealing with trauma and finding ways to deal with the decisions that other people make that we may or may not be happy with. I really liked this story and I think lots of kids will find connections to it in surprising ways. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVV61xfFWrcZPcogxvKecHHuiwq-IXhkCdJpMVyIeqcZMGYyi34Du38vZNFf5M5p1C3FRzck-DY1zPR0BBPZH_qwGY4xcKYMF3TNB_ZXgdPb7Ik5Kxjus1LazBenOK63iyIKWKWtoNGBQIcRR1d3ksCAQMzPj6jlUJ3XJtF2A4xKV0gsPIhhnE49w/s1500/giantsburn.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="963" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVV61xfFWrcZPcogxvKecHHuiwq-IXhkCdJpMVyIeqcZMGYyi34Du38vZNFf5M5p1C3FRzck-DY1zPR0BBPZH_qwGY4xcKYMF3TNB_ZXgdPb7Ik5Kxjus1LazBenOK63iyIKWKWtoNGBQIcRR1d3ksCAQMzPj6jlUJ3XJtF2A4xKV0gsPIhhnE49w/s320/giantsburn.jpeg" width="205" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The second one is called The Order of Things and it's written by Kaija Langley. This is her second book and since I hadn't read the first one, this was my introduction to her writing and it was great! This novel in verse is about April. She lives her mom and her best friend, Zee, lives right next door, with his dad. The families support each other with food and friendship, since both are single parents and both have jobs that require extra time. Together they make it work. Zee and April are super close but this year, they are going to do different schools. Zee got into a special school for music and April did not. April really wants to be a drummer but has made choices to make her drumming less of a priority. Now that she and Zee are separated, she's determined to work hard and get into his school too. So she's making new friends, which is strange. She's working hard to find her own voice and drumming style, while asking for help from Zee's dad, a very accomplished musician. And then some big things happen and because it would totally spoil the plot, I'm not going to tell you! But April has to find a way through some pretty hard things and she does. This is a wonderful story with some big social issues, including dealing with death, parental dating, drug abuse, and child neglect. Middle graders are going to love reading about April and how she deals with all of them. This is a great story, don't miss it!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWD6fAmHIY7426lEdpoAQOBaFxOaGuf8BGwSDdCXNGmzP30FkOMtjcBe2NLNYctKbIe1ubZ9MD-nQcsRv8KmbAJbh_uWTrLda2JudYK1pMA-prsoGoYjcKIwgFg0k2Vf_1qTPFpT4-kZx1jTuHRlgk8J9a9_Dgyo-aBEGudUeA5EQOieWh1I-pPmNREuU/s1000/order.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="662" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWD6fAmHIY7426lEdpoAQOBaFxOaGuf8BGwSDdCXNGmzP30FkOMtjcBe2NLNYctKbIe1ubZ9MD-nQcsRv8KmbAJbh_uWTrLda2JudYK1pMA-prsoGoYjcKIwgFg0k2Vf_1qTPFpT4-kZx1jTuHRlgk8J9a9_Dgyo-aBEGudUeA5EQOieWh1I-pPmNREuU/s320/order.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-9532658688287069402023-06-11T07:36:00.003-07:002023-10-18T04:45:24.965-07:00New middle grade speculative fiction<p> FINALLY finding my way back to doing some reading! Here are two good new ones I found. </p><p>The first one is called The Book of the Stolen Dreams by David Farr. It's about a brother and sister, Robert and Rachel, who have been tasked by their father to find a book of stolen dreams and use it to bring down an evil dictator, Charles Malstain. The book, it turns out, holds the secret to the line between the living and the dead, allowing the person who controls the book to potentially, live forever. There are a number of protections set up for the book (it's been around awhile and the family that helped create it knew the power that it had, as well as it's potential for abuse) so a really wonderful part of the book is watching Rachel and Robert try to figure out who they should trust. This is a very exciting book with lots of plot twists. The evil villain is wonderfully evil, in a way that some readers will draw parallels to things that are happening today. I thought this one was great. Reading this one will leave with readers with lots of options for conversations about life and death and living forever as well as how rulers can change over time and how the idea of term limits maybe isn't a bad idea. Don't miss this one.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TJKNuoW3LVWMCwpFJLJFLzQmIba_m9FKeGuOs7CfUB9B0Uz8boASe4EkEy_QrHPDsHOlb-4Nhm0qiqVNqfjaybQ2aWPyfRQ00qgGbQ7dodtVR572Hm-5cGCHkuGVkAFt704E8u6OaLvxTN0nbeaYQScehBvaD7HzkI_iN9Sr3wF9VqZ3KwU8lC43/s499/stolendreams.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="352" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TJKNuoW3LVWMCwpFJLJFLzQmIba_m9FKeGuOs7CfUB9B0Uz8boASe4EkEy_QrHPDsHOlb-4Nhm0qiqVNqfjaybQ2aWPyfRQ00qgGbQ7dodtVR572Hm-5cGCHkuGVkAFt704E8u6OaLvxTN0nbeaYQScehBvaD7HzkI_iN9Sr3wF9VqZ3KwU8lC43/s320/stolendreams.jpeg" width="226" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's the author introducing the book.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5hOw4mrSTro" width="320" youtube-src-id="5hOw4mrSTro"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And here he is reading an excerpt. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BrhXEopiZHQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="BrhXEopiZHQ"></iframe></div><br /><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The second is called Abeni's Song. It's written by P. Djeli Clark. It's about Abeni, who is just 12 as the story starts. The Harvest Festival is starting and Abeni really wants to move onto her grownup life, but the adults in her community are determined to protect her innocence as long as possible. She has been having strange dreams about a song that is so compelling, it makes her want to leave her family and community and as she starts talking to her friends, they have also been having the same dream. It turns out that a magical woman, who helped Abeni come into the world, has been protecting the village. The dreams she sent were a warning, but the adults of the village are not listening. As the woman, Asha, tries louder and louder to send the warning message, a storm approaches that includes strange warriors. Asha offers to take one child and protect the rest and Abeni's mother offers Abeni. The entire village is wiped out and the children dance off to the strangely magical song. Abeni is angry and wants to go back to her family but finds that the village has been destroyed and so she makes her home with Asha, with a promise that Asha will train her so that she can go and find her family, The rest of the book is a magical quest with some amazing characters (a panther and a porcupine!) as well as some super scary villains. The story has a satisfying but not completely resolved ending, so I'm hoping there will be more! Abeni and Asha are both wonderful characters and I'd really love to read more of their adventures. This story is set in Africa and one of the things I liked about this one a lot was a conversation about what had happened to the parents of the kids who escaped and what kept coming up was that the parents had been sent on ghost ships to a land faraway from which they would never return. It doesn't take a big leap to make that into how Africans were kidnapped from their homes and sent out on ghost ships to a land from which they would never return. The folklore around that part of history is pretty sketchy so having a story to hang that historical context on awesome. The fact that the story is told by kids and that the kids are not only the heroes, but the villains are also pretty amazing. I really liked this story and I hope you're going to like it too!</p><p>Check out this gorgeous cover!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXerw07GqTgKXW3mjapudQ51__xgcmFcOtfENYKxrTXD61knX8GJnTFBQptHscIstjMprhYxzpIIq2UMEcqyd6PvSAQDuBo0jdvuOl6E2inN0bSm6oyL0LDkGbJwdc7LwNUi7tH8hp8IlUjdFh5L6-a2t2IoAeY6pYEzrVYtjqNSN4THGH5_1M0a3/s279/abeni.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="180" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXerw07GqTgKXW3mjapudQ51__xgcmFcOtfENYKxrTXD61knX8GJnTFBQptHscIstjMprhYxzpIIq2UMEcqyd6PvSAQDuBo0jdvuOl6E2inN0bSm6oyL0LDkGbJwdc7LwNUi7tH8hp8IlUjdFh5L6-a2t2IoAeY6pYEzrVYtjqNSN4THGH5_1M0a3/s1600/abeni.jpeg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-7948195158481430342023-05-13T16:46:00.004-07:002023-05-13T16:46:45.550-07:00New graphic novels to look for<p> I just finished two graphic novels you might want to be on the look out for. My students really love graphic novels that are realistic fiction, like Smile and Drama by Reina Telegmeier or the Baby Sitter's Club, so these two new ones are right in that sweet spot.</p><p><br /></p><p>The first one is by one of my favorite authors, Wendy Mass. Wendy has written some amazing middle grade fiction like 11 Birthdays and the Candymakers that are perennial hits in my elementary school library. Her first foray into graphic novels is called Lo and Behold. Like many of her books, the story is based around a middle schooler, Addie, who is going to spend the summer with her dad who is a futurist, which is a scientist who helps people plan for the future. His current line of study is augmented reality and he's super into it. Addie's mom is out of the picture-of course Wendy doesn't tell you the whole thing at the beginning, but it involves a bike accident and pain killers. Addie really loves science, especially tortoises and space, so she's hoping there will be something fun for her at the university too. When they arrive, the team of scientists/students greet both Addie and dad enthusiastically and there are nice people across the hall from where they are living, even a boy Addie's age but Addie isn't too sure about any of it. As the summer progresses, Addie finds that the virtual reality is a lot cooler than she thought and she thinks up some pretty terrific applications for it. She also gets to know Matteo from across the hall, who is way cooler than she initially finds. This is a fun book to read. There are elements of science and humor, family dynamics, pain and loss AND virtual reality. Gabi Mendez's art work helps to develop the mood of the story as well as the feelings of the characters in a very fundamental way. I really liked how the art work helped to move the story along without being too busy or overworked. It was a perfect balance to the text. I think this one is going to be super popular among the bigger kids at my school. Do NOT miss the AR application that goes along with the book, it's totally amazing!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuq9hjH8BzINOeBs4OYaKcWFfbwggh2Cof2oJOQsIiMapKKvfiiCwuoYL28utn6AaR3R36bDeO0eHwvP19Mqn6P9MNVnSwR1Edl2NC-b4qDHPT2Ufcc8UO1cjqYOGUq_UQKy3_TJd6Qp4WX1wrx3OHY4ib35fKI_WS-MUZAAF0X4biXwZztl6bbv_w/s612/loandbehold.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuq9hjH8BzINOeBs4OYaKcWFfbwggh2Cof2oJOQsIiMapKKvfiiCwuoYL28utn6AaR3R36bDeO0eHwvP19Mqn6P9MNVnSwR1Edl2NC-b4qDHPT2Ufcc8UO1cjqYOGUq_UQKy3_TJd6Qp4WX1wrx3OHY4ib35fKI_WS-MUZAAF0X4biXwZztl6bbv_w/s320/loandbehold.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second one is called The Do-Over by Rodrigo Vargas and Coni Yovaniniz. It's about Mariana (or Maru) who has moved from California to Ohio with her dad, a hairstylist. She's not really happy about being in Ohio and hasn't really made any friends but her grandmother, Abuela, is there. Maru's mom died a while back and Maru and her dad miss her a lot. People keep telling Maru she needs to get off her phone and into the real world. She goes into the girls bathroom at school one day to find two girls who are having a bit of a hair emergency. They've been experimenting with hair color and one wants to cut the other's hair. It's quite successful and the three girls hatch a plan to open their own hair studio, which happens sooner than any of them can imagine with the help of Maru's abuela. This is a fun story to read with themes of friendship and communication and problem solving, with a healthy dose of finding your own voice. The art work is fun and helps the storyline along with added visual details that aren't necessarily carried by the text. There's also a sprinkling of Spanish language in the text (that's easy enough for even non-Spanish speakers to figure out) which adds a nice cultural connection. I know the kids at my school will like this one a lot and I'll bet yours will too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTDXaw9EacaIVkQhXzRLjssfvLDt3Nqmzy_muq2IU20MxGaBCNQLdnkEORMcA4XSx_0RAKRrhAGEZMfUztioFW3WnheIFU4Dae6olC5TimyXngQ2aI4fSxfmtlGNVPdmQcNTPBaK9kIMT0MRaPNklTvADSHBmTR2NnI_6ZDwww7n-7YT3DHkrPJw5/s400/doover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="275" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTDXaw9EacaIVkQhXzRLjssfvLDt3Nqmzy_muq2IU20MxGaBCNQLdnkEORMcA4XSx_0RAKRrhAGEZMfUztioFW3WnheIFU4Dae6olC5TimyXngQ2aI4fSxfmtlGNVPdmQcNTPBaK9kIMT0MRaPNklTvADSHBmTR2NnI_6ZDwww7n-7YT3DHkrPJw5/s320/doover.jpeg" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-38142287927338054212023-04-10T16:59:00.000-07:002023-04-10T16:59:00.235-07:00Middle grade books about self-image<p> Would you be surprised to hear that body images are something that kids think about? The images kids see on social media (including TV and video games) shape the way they think about their own bodies and not always for the better. Here are two books where the main characters are thinking about the way that they are perceived and how people perceive them in two really different ways. </p><p>The first one is called Time to Roll by Jamie Summer. This is a sequel to her book Roll With It. The main character, Ellie, wants to be a baker and finds happiness cooking and baking for her family. She is also in a wheelchair most of the time, which she doesn't find as off putting as some other people do. In Roll With It, Ellie and her mom move back to their hometown to help Ellie's grandmother because Ellie's grandfather is struggling with dementia. In this second book, Ellie has happily settled into her new hometown, she has wonderful friends and her mom has found love in the form of the PE teacher at Ellie's school. The book opens with their wedding and Ellie's dread of her mom and new stepdad going on a honeymoon trip because it's the first time Ellie and her mom have ever been apart. Ellie's dad and his new wife and their two boys are coming to stay with Ellie but that's not really easy because Ellie's dad doesn't really understand how the whole wheelchair thing works. In trying to avoid her dad, Ellie ends up entered in a Miss Boots and Bows pageant with her best friend, Coralee. Except Ellie keeps finding people she needs to educate about her wheelchair, like the pageant organizer and her dad. Ellie is a wonderful character. Her confidence and sense of self are so solid that she can talk to people when they offend her to help them understand how they can be supportive without being overbearing or keeping her from being as independent as she wants to be. This is a really fun read and I think the kids are going to love it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Uv7etMqOBnn1h1B99_kEeHpStmck8048SSegsVHvNE02YuuJVsPxRQQMhpBvUWlzT1I4D0JRlTe6K8_yn24uMU3EjBZnzN3Qmh0k3E_tx-Xk-kNTldiyLRi0oGI0zobbRin1cjoYOHxuNBTi8V2KZ4ptY2Ko_TI7_DYCjmuCwKeWWeFUaU11d3KH/s500/timetoroll.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Uv7etMqOBnn1h1B99_kEeHpStmck8048SSegsVHvNE02YuuJVsPxRQQMhpBvUWlzT1I4D0JRlTe6K8_yn24uMU3EjBZnzN3Qmh0k3E_tx-Xk-kNTldiyLRi0oGI0zobbRin1cjoYOHxuNBTi8V2KZ4ptY2Ko_TI7_DYCjmuCwKeWWeFUaU11d3KH/s320/timetoroll.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And give a listen to Jamie reading a little bit of the book!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HXWkF7T7_18" width="320" youtube-src-id="HXWkF7T7_18"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second one is sort of the opposite end of the scale. It's called A Work in Progress and it's written by Jarrett Lerner. You might have seen some of Jarrett's other work-he's written a lot of elementary grade fiction that's super funny like Enginerds and Geeger the Robot and a new beginning reader series about Nat the Cat. "A Work in Progress" is not that. It's about Will, who has a seminal moment in fourth grade that is the beginning of the story. Will is walking down the hall at this school and another boy comes up and says that Will is fat. Will describes it like the boy is spitting it out. Will is devastated and even though Will's friends track him down and try to support him, the voices in Will's head are louder and WAAAY more negative than the supportive voices of his friends. Will starts trying to hide behind baggy clothes and when that doesn't work, he starts restricting his food intake. Will eventually finds a way to tell his friends and his family that things are very wrong with him. This is a POWERFUL book. It's written in free verse poetry so it goes quickly, but it also goes quickly because you really want to keep reading, to find out what happens to Will. His voice is so immediate, so relatable, you find yourself wanting to tell Will how awesome he is, how little his appearance actually matters, how mean middle schoolers are and how real friends are accepting of differences. Many readers will recognize themselves in this book, the anxiety, the negative body imaging, the self sabotage, the feeling of being alone, all of these are things we all feel from time to time, some more acutely than others, but thanks Jarrett. Thanks for putting this story out into the world so readers will know that they aren't alone, that there is a path forward and that there are people who want to help and support you, no matter how unworthy you feel. This is an amazing book that should be in every school library, because I guarantee you, there's someone in that school who feels exactly like Will does. DO NOT miss this one. </div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIckP0J4AhMcu6sLp11yytzJ6dZTEtRlTmkPZMORcRJsDT3fY10X2Rn0zK6DXwXs6ezI325RPXcuV-jKvkyiDSIpToZOd2j6WEKTe02DR2RpCTzYFWwIvQkpfpSFybGHkE1oaCeFO6lS3hfQWk5XviC2WQnfIhmPp43zux1XW41RkOMD0VM2IWhIf/s400/a-work-in-progress.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIckP0J4AhMcu6sLp11yytzJ6dZTEtRlTmkPZMORcRJsDT3fY10X2Rn0zK6DXwXs6ezI325RPXcuV-jKvkyiDSIpToZOd2j6WEKTe02DR2RpCTzYFWwIvQkpfpSFybGHkE1oaCeFO6lS3hfQWk5XviC2WQnfIhmPp43zux1XW41RkOMD0VM2IWhIf/s320/a-work-in-progress.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br />The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-9427053628051431042023-04-09T15:02:00.003-07:002023-04-09T15:02:51.960-07:00Books about African Animals<p> There are (at least) two amazing new books out for elementary students that revolve around African animals, come check them out!</p><p>The first one is the third from Katherine Applegate about a group of animals that lived in a mall in Seattle, Washington. The first one was the One and Only Ivan about a silverback gorilla, told from the gorilla's point of view. The second was The One and Only Bob, about a stray dog that lived with the gorilla and told from the dog's point of view. This one, The One and Only Ruby is told from a baby elephant's point of view. Ruby and Ivan have been relocated to a zoo that has spaces that mimic their natural habitats. Ivan lives in an enclosure with other gorillas and has a wonderful companion gorilla. Ruby lives in an adjoining enclosure, with a herd of other female elephants. Ruby is anxious about her coming of age ceremony-Tuskday, where the other elephants will celebrate her getting her tusks. It turns out Ruby is anxious about tusks because of what happened to her mother as well as other elephants. Ruby is a wonderful story teller, full of mischief and joy, in spite of some of the horrible things she's witnessed. Readers will have an opporunity to learn about elephant behavior in the wild as well as how humans have tried to make money off wild animals. Parts of the story are hard to read (one kind of person might have been weeping copiously) but the story has a satisfying, if not exactly happy ending. Kids are going to love this one for so many reasons-the connection to Ivan and Bob, the information about elephants, not to mention what an adorable character Ruby is. This is a wonderful collection to that series. Don't miss it!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IHoFo3COyapqAbDPAtW2oBmC_2z9yMiXcSdC8ydgwL3rdBAYWSuzIDSrHe-u4bFnaPBEb-1__mRBaNJ1IgG71DBWMt__5j46dQ-3_eiruYuSaqY4PAVzezA6s3oXitqTJoEFl1ffdKLVPpUKwxVtSOSEdDtFn2Ey32bzEQrkJF8b1gsJEgRnuziw/s612/ruby.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IHoFo3COyapqAbDPAtW2oBmC_2z9yMiXcSdC8ydgwL3rdBAYWSuzIDSrHe-u4bFnaPBEb-1__mRBaNJ1IgG71DBWMt__5j46dQ-3_eiruYuSaqY4PAVzezA6s3oXitqTJoEFl1ffdKLVPpUKwxVtSOSEdDtFn2Ey32bzEQrkJF8b1gsJEgRnuziw/s320/ruby.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p>The second one is non fiction and it's by one of my favorite authors, Sandra Markle. It's called The Great Giraffe Rescue, and like some of her other books like The Great Penguin Rescue and of course her amazing series "What if you had animal..." which, although our library has all of these in our collection, they are never actually in the library, except when someone brings one back and then it's only a moment and until it's snatched up by someone else. My students LOVE her books, so I was super excited to see a new addition to her book list! This one is all about Nubian giraffes. The Nubian giraffes live in Uganda and it turns out, a very rich oil deposit was discovered right in the middle of the park where most of the giraffes lived. The park people came up with a plan to relocate the giraffes to different parts of Uganda, in some cases, re-establishing giraffes that had gone extinct. There are lots of facts of about giraffes but also a lot of information on the problem solving that the park rangers and scientists had to do in order to safely relocate the giraffes. I found it fascinating and I know the kids will too! There are also lots of gorgeous photos so you can really appreciate how beautiful the giraffes are. Don't miss this one, it's terrific!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHPlDr9psfowFsxNYUeFQIX8WSzE19NC9HdHIDI8QwO8gFMO0sXm0q_ayIZyGeUx3qfbdv1qAVLc_jDzGwbDQAup_cx2I1UlDkpy6a0D4LYK1cvKxemcV0KkCMJuk7lCT-0XtRCsVVRdT09Cv2KaXodo80PtbObwTLVREOBRM5AeOnjtiqQoDZUpf/s1000/giraffe.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHPlDr9psfowFsxNYUeFQIX8WSzE19NC9HdHIDI8QwO8gFMO0sXm0q_ayIZyGeUx3qfbdv1qAVLc_jDzGwbDQAup_cx2I1UlDkpy6a0D4LYK1cvKxemcV0KkCMJuk7lCT-0XtRCsVVRdT09Cv2KaXodo80PtbObwTLVREOBRM5AeOnjtiqQoDZUpf/s320/giraffe.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And here's a Scholastic Interview with Sandra Markle!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dojjk6Dp1ps" width="320" youtube-src-id="Dojjk6Dp1ps"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-23425774018876788882023-03-30T17:41:00.000-07:002023-03-30T17:41:10.392-07:00What's new in middle grade fiction?<p> We just finished our spring break and we had a great time! One of the best things was having some time to catch up on some reading and wow, were there some great ones in my TBR pile! Check these out! (no, really, go to the library and check them out!).</p><p>The first one is by the amazing Angie Thomas. You might remember a little book she wrote called The Hate U Give that a few people read (and then made a terrific movie about it). I love the immediacy of her writing and her new one is no different. It's so different! It's called Nic Blake and the Remarkables. It's speculative or fantasy fiction book about Nic Blake, who lives with her dad in Jackson, Mississippi. Nic and her dad have moved around a lot and Nic really likes living in Jackson. She finally has a best friend and that feels great. She's super stoked because her favorite author is coming to town, he writes magical mystery adventures and she'll do anything to meet him, including sneaking out of the house. It turns out that Nic's dad is a Remarkable, a magician of sorts. A person who can harness magic in ways most people can not. The Unremarkables (like you and me) aren't really supposed to know about the Remarkables so Nic hasn't even told her best friend. Nic gets a gigantic surprise on her birthday and I'm SO not going to spoil this for you. This story unfolds at a breakneck pace with plot twists and adventure at every corner. The dialogue is awesome, the African American folklore is terrific (with an adorable cameo by Kwame Mbalia) and these characters are people you are going to want to hang out with long after the story is over. There BETTER be a sequel to this one because I would really love to hear more about these characters. I'll bet the kids will too. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Isn't this cover gorgeous?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoSiX4EzAQptovKkXQZqiqWnTizus1MUgq1lBPwPyYLqidrkDBGCEiiPQA2xUNVFRfEt545fco_eL2SEua7FHVuNVyxrMNh0dl19Nj_MJiVvidNmcafy3driBgMHxyy8bf2tN3DsclONOOXtWQCmcezVaq9pWgJtDWLTUFD5SJ5SAc57OnDAl3aFL/s529/nicblake.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoSiX4EzAQptovKkXQZqiqWnTizus1MUgq1lBPwPyYLqidrkDBGCEiiPQA2xUNVFRfEt545fco_eL2SEua7FHVuNVyxrMNh0dl19Nj_MJiVvidNmcafy3driBgMHxyy8bf2tN3DsclONOOXtWQCmcezVaq9pWgJtDWLTUFD5SJ5SAc57OnDAl3aFL/s320/nicblake.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Check out this amazing book trailer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PL5nccp24-0" width="320" youtube-src-id="PL5nccp24-0"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The second is harder to read but no less compelling. It's called Eb and Flow and it's written by Kelly J. Baptist. Kelly has written some amazing books-Isaiah Dunn is My Hero and one that is currently on the Sunshine State Young Reader Jr. List-The Electric Slide and Kai, which my students loved. Eb and Flow is written in free verse, switching between Eb (short for Ebony) and Flow (which is the nickname of De"Kari). Ebony and De'Kari are both serving a 10 day suspension for fighting (each other) and through the course of the story, you come to understand not only what happened, but how it happened and also develop empathy for both of these characters. This is hard to read, not because it has complicated vocabulary or esoteric descriptions, it's hard to read because the emotions of the characters are so strong and the writing is so compelling, you almost feel like you are living their pain. Baptist has a real gift for the dialogue of these two characters (their voices were crystal clear for me) and the poetry format helps the story move lightning fast. The conclusion of the story left me breathless (I'm SO not going to tell you) and I had to go back and read it three times to make sure I really understood what had happened. My students are going to love this one and the discussions that are going to come out of reading a book like this are going to be amazing. There are so many opportunities to talk about trauma (both big and small) and how that plays out in kids' lives. This is a wonderful book and I can't wait to put it in kids' hands.<p></p><p>Here's the cover.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6MA8ywkUShnQOpEvbL3KvTJrDfQ0SXaaOywWHVASufz_JG19Uw8gpdnMMTycWJHelKY8JOOy8KXsUOCJB6Z_paoJyaqxlluxPCc7vPXFS7HQwnm49hV3dNGXAjlKEXs_K_o7krrHTqYcluQvZkcZoiV78ZwFL8xsASy_o8or8lP5YfQGgNkcF3At/s227/ebandflow.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="150" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6MA8ywkUShnQOpEvbL3KvTJrDfQ0SXaaOywWHVASufz_JG19Uw8gpdnMMTycWJHelKY8JOOy8KXsUOCJB6Z_paoJyaqxlluxPCc7vPXFS7HQwnm49hV3dNGXAjlKEXs_K_o7krrHTqYcluQvZkcZoiV78ZwFL8xsASy_o8or8lP5YfQGgNkcF3At/w264-h400/ebandflow.jpeg" width="264" /></a></div><br /><p><br /> </p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-74433258396099480682023-03-11T13:05:00.001-08:002023-03-11T13:05:23.235-08:00What's new? Middle grade fiction!<p> I feel like yesterday was Christmas and I blinked and here it is the middle of March. I could explain that I've been busy (I'm pretty sure I have) but maybe I should just tell you about some of the amazing middle grade fiction I've been reading!</p><p>The first one is called Izzy at the End of the World by K. A. Reynolds. It's about Izzy who lives with her little sister and her grandparents. Izzy is on the autism spectrum and she's learned some great coping strategies, including using her very good dog, Akka, to help. Izzy is coping with grief from the loss of her mother as well as surviving middle school. She's been having weird dreams, so when one day she sees some strange lights and the rest of humanity disappears, she is determined to get her family back. She takes Akka and starts on a journey of self discovery and alien battling. She meets Raven along the way, who seems to be the only other person alive and has understanding of some of Izzy's issues, as well as having some of his own. Together, the find a way to help each other. This story is very fast paced and left me a little breathless at times, just trying to keep up! It's exciting and nostalgic and modern all at the same time. It's a wonderful story and I think the middle grade kids are going to love it.</p><p>Check out this awesome cover!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4MZJQhX53h8yImsmfXm1RZnLk0rQM5seq1U2UWC6RZVdhNOnt4yM39__zpH1m9mEGol2TBj_E4h6gvnXtyV3kqvOrOxOJ8988DN4M0us7Dpveo7Ix6i3e4pEjDNEIH0TSF8wDwce-OtV3BaNT5hk3c6g4Bs1023AmIyyGcPw-dzBn6ndgzojLkUm/s2475/izzy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4MZJQhX53h8yImsmfXm1RZnLk0rQM5seq1U2UWC6RZVdhNOnt4yM39__zpH1m9mEGol2TBj_E4h6gvnXtyV3kqvOrOxOJ8988DN4M0us7Dpveo7Ix6i3e4pEjDNEIH0TSF8wDwce-OtV3BaNT5hk3c6g4Bs1023AmIyyGcPw-dzBn6ndgzojLkUm/s320/izzy.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This second one is realistic fiction. It's called Not an Easy Win by Chrystal Giles. The main character Lawerence has moved from the big city of Charlotte, NC to small town Larenville, to live with his grandmother, along with his little sister Nikko. Lawerence's mom has been struggling to find work so moving in with Granny seemed like a good idea. But it's hard-Granny isn't delighted to see them, in fact, a lot of times she seems really annoyed that they are there. Lawerence would rather have take out than a lot of the food that Grandma cooks and the kids at Lawerence's new school are really not very nice to him. His dad is in jail and that's a thing he usually likes to keep to himself. When he gets into one fight too many, he's expelled from school and in looking for something to keep him out of the house all day, he ends up at the local Rec Center, helping out. He makes some friends (and finds a tough guy) and learns that chess is a difficult but beautiful game, with lessons both on the board and in his life. This is a wonderful story about finding your place and listening to the stories of others to help understand their actions as well as your own. I think the kids are going to love this one too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-ZbEE_1oozt5v1n4sv2cbjWpdVA9HnIP7H1Nnez7GIkMgwXvD5ft4ZD_tIz8-JZNtd-tDnKKMvXn4a-ojq9EUGNbwdCfSk6_6iTrwgYlwdQiluthMlXgDnmJSg6JEZBi4qDJK3ChAHk1MRsLsd3pihII4gJ0RqO4AJxcLP9cxF63R5yfVTTPDdWh/s400/easywin.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-ZbEE_1oozt5v1n4sv2cbjWpdVA9HnIP7H1Nnez7GIkMgwXvD5ft4ZD_tIz8-JZNtd-tDnKKMvXn4a-ojq9EUGNbwdCfSk6_6iTrwgYlwdQiluthMlXgDnmJSg6JEZBi4qDJK3ChAHk1MRsLsd3pihII4gJ0RqO4AJxcLP9cxF63R5yfVTTPDdWh/s320/easywin.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can listen to Chrystal read the first chapter here!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bf3a3t7qKYI" width="320" youtube-src-id="bf3a3t7qKYI"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-59944272087721121462023-01-26T14:12:00.000-08:002023-01-26T14:12:06.659-08:00New speculative fiction to look for!<p>I've been trying to catch up on my gigantic TBR pile, so YAY for reading! I even have some grownup books to read, but today is all about speculative fiction!</p><p>The first one is a real charmer called The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett. It's about Grace, an orphan, who is living a fairly bleak existence in an orphanage but at 12 has decided to go and get trained up as a witch. She's pretty sure she has magical powers-her best friend is a crow that she rescued and she can understand him-he likes poetry and helps out when he can. She also can recognize people for what they are so when she approaches the witch, who looks like a friendly grandmother, she can see past her disguise to the evil witch that she truly is, which is what Grace aspires to be. Except that this witch cooks and eats children, so first Grace has to talk her way out of being the evening's main course. After that, Grace gets the witch to agree to take her on as an apprentice, but Grace first has to prove that she actually has magical powers, so the agreement is that Grace will have several months to work all the spells in the witch's grimoire. If she can do that, the witch will train her. If Grace can't manage that, the witch will take all her powers and Grace will just be an ordinary person. To keep up appearances, the witch buys Grace new clothes and enrolls her in school and Grace makes her first friend, Sareena. She also meets her first magical creature, a fairy named Rum, who becomes her slave when Grace rescues him from a magical tree. The whole story is just wonderfully fun-Grace is the opposite of the witch, kind hearted and generous, but with a steely will for justice. Her magical education is less about instruction and more about discovery and so readers will feel opening their own minds to possibilities could lead all sorts of interesting places. The whole story had an Anne of Green Gables or Pollyanna kind of vibe to it but I really liked this book a lot and I think middle grade readers are going to love this one too. It comes out in February 2023.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxwi81ymM-UezOncGbVnePnAIrzgD_fnBy5AtclMZcCgxRSi9Rm2K54GGdHVk826UhGjpYcrKcBhS7ZK740sTEjB7GaZGZ1VYKiTGy6t2ekUyyo97kMyUEDzLKgNtHHiSSVZbdjbTBYG1cGYoAxItfe2MtRNPuo07A1yQjsJFJZ5yBv30ELiMWiUe/s276/grace.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="183" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxwi81ymM-UezOncGbVnePnAIrzgD_fnBy5AtclMZcCgxRSi9Rm2K54GGdHVk826UhGjpYcrKcBhS7ZK740sTEjB7GaZGZ1VYKiTGy6t2ekUyyo97kMyUEDzLKgNtHHiSSVZbdjbTBYG1cGYoAxItfe2MtRNPuo07A1yQjsJFJZ5yBv30ELiMWiUe/s1600/grace.jpeg" width="183" /></a></div><br /><p>The next one is magical folkloric coming of age tale. It's called Where the Black Flowers Bloom and it's written by Ronald L. Smith. You might have read some of his other works like Hoodoo or The Mesmerist or The Black Panther: Young Prince. The main character in Black Flowers is Asha, a girl about to move from childhood into adulthood, or at least young adulthood. She lives with a group of traveling performers who took her in as a small child. Suna is the one who looks after her and is like a mother to Asha. Asha feels like she doesn't have any particular talents and is looking forward to the ceremony where she will receive her mark (a symbol on her body that will appear) so that she knows what kinds of things she will do as an adult. Except that the mark that appears on her back is different from anything anyone has seen. Suna isn't quite sure what it means, so she starts sending letters to her contacts but before she hears back, their community is attacked by men disguised as birds. Suna is killed and Asha flees with the only member of her community that she knows survived and together they vow to avenge Suna. Except things are not always what they seem. They pick up a fellow traveler named Sprix who has a secret of his own and then they meet one of Suna's sisters who starts filling in the pieces of Asha's life, the mark on her back and her mission. I don't want to ruin the unfolding of this compelling and exciting story, but let me just tell you, I couldn't put it down. It's very fast paced and gets right to the point of the story so I think the middle kids are going to love this one. It comes out this week! Don't miss it! Isn't this cover stunning? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjkRKewgX4Tu_UIYk6obNS3IcNnLmjx2e6uSF9KSvarWVD84LdUiILcCqzAmickBosoogkMvj1u_AM-KkJI_yNAZTpE2z69WmrRdTgrLef6J-ZgVCkSjPZg9BusZM8jQ1w1tp6fYCH3rVdCmPav0sPLeEJNx_XN0jciHwCKdUEQ1ldFwCF06CKenU/s2887/black%20flowers.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2887" data-original-width="1925" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjkRKewgX4Tu_UIYk6obNS3IcNnLmjx2e6uSF9KSvarWVD84LdUiILcCqzAmickBosoogkMvj1u_AM-KkJI_yNAZTpE2z69WmrRdTgrLef6J-ZgVCkSjPZg9BusZM8jQ1w1tp6fYCH3rVdCmPav0sPLeEJNx_XN0jciHwCKdUEQ1ldFwCF06CKenU/s320/black%20flowers.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658019836692879274.post-28706984586902048272022-12-26T16:24:00.002-08:002022-12-26T16:24:55.554-08:00New realistic fiction for middle grades<p> Did you think I forgot how to write a blog post? I did not. Well, maybe I did, but COVID seemed to have scrambled my brain a little... or maybe a lot and between trying to go to work, to go to our state librarians convention, to spend 10 days with my parents here and suddenly it was today! I'd like to tell you that I've done something heroic, but it would be a lie or at least a really big stretch. Anyway, I HAVE been reading and here are two new ones that you should definitely look for.</p><p>The first one is called Sardines. It's written by Sashi Kaufman and it is wonderful. It's about Lucas who is in middle school and struggling. His older brother, Charlie died after he'd left to go away to college and he left a big hole in the community as well as in Lucas' family. In fact, Lucas' mother has left the family without any big discussion with Lucas, so he doesn't really know why she left or where she went or why. Lucas feels like he doesn't really have any friends, so he's a bit surprised that when he starts going to an after care program that the kids that are also there could possibly be his friends. Things really get going when a new kid named Finn shows up and turns everything a little sideways (in the best possible way). Finn has a way of working around the rules that kids find limiting and the kids friendships blossom. The story title comes from a game that Finn suggests called Sardines. The game is similar to hide and seek, except that one person hides and instead of being caught and being out, when the first person finds the hider, the second person hides with them until the last person finds them. The kids also develop a kind of a contest where they grant each other's wishes and even though the wishes are big and complicated, they all end up getting granted, even if they don't quite have the happy ending that they thought they would. This is a wonderful story of friendship and families that you choose as well as the stories that people tell about each other. Middle graders who like realistic stories about characters that feel like friends are going to love this one. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyleHK2EnJmvSof-CaLhIQrTmef7WfgGTpmWgkzEYb6xjKmlNIepa4Rd44SVEDkmJH256ubU-DgnxstbLbwP9jYaaF4OvoQ29XTxgUuBbDDWxQkKUDbV2NtTn7vfSbTLKk_Ifv_IxLnAY3qV0imHw9z1jL-Awt3HYaChKA2bwtMkesg1cF6_VcfPT/s604/sardines.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyleHK2EnJmvSof-CaLhIQrTmef7WfgGTpmWgkzEYb6xjKmlNIepa4Rd44SVEDkmJH256ubU-DgnxstbLbwP9jYaaF4OvoQ29XTxgUuBbDDWxQkKUDbV2NtTn7vfSbTLKk_Ifv_IxLnAY3qV0imHw9z1jL-Awt3HYaChKA2bwtMkesg1cF6_VcfPT/s320/sardines.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second one is a graphic novel and it's not really a new story. It's based on a book that was written for grownups- The Librarian of Auschwitz. This one is written by Antonio Iturbe and illustrated by Loreto Aroca. It was translated by Lillit Thwaites. It's the story of Dita, a teenager growing up in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s. She loved to read and had a large collection of her personal books. When her family was sent to Auschwitz, they were lucky enough to be there at a time when the Germans were trying to put a positive spin on their death camps, showing the happily confined Jews, wearing their own clothes, going to work and having activities that they were allowed to participate in, including a lending library, which Dita ran. Her father died there from disease and she and her mother were eventually sent to other camps after the Germans lost interest in pretending that they were actually helping the Jews. Dita survived the war but her mother did not. After the war, Dita found work and one of her fellow prisoners, Ota, whom she eventually married. The art work in this has a dark palette, fitting for the story of desperation and sadness. The pictures vividly show the deplorable conditions and terrible events around the camps, including people being sent to the showers as well as dead bodies being flung into pits for burial. The terror and desperation of camps almost leaps off the pages. The publisher has suggested that this would be suitable for ages 8-12, but I think I wouldn't give it to kids younger than fifth grade. Although this is a well told story, the images of naked women (being sent to their deaths) are so vivid that I probably wouldn't put it in my elementary school library, particularly given the current political climate in Florida. But even if it isn't good for my library, it's a great story and I think people are going to love this adaptation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OnQAQSwioj46vG4zyOA_16XDioBXB6Mi2jd8jD94-S5ykeyoFSqE2JXhVelpOv1vc7iJlNHSpPfjPbDS2mWlJ6kRJh0BpCDJlfb8G_R0VEP34_0phQ4nXNRxZhnfc8COlW_ID9naUJnd5q5-PZnjU8CUSixAOaYyNCvlbvO9_ua3OxEWdcMOHUs-/s1272/librarian.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OnQAQSwioj46vG4zyOA_16XDioBXB6Mi2jd8jD94-S5ykeyoFSqE2JXhVelpOv1vc7iJlNHSpPfjPbDS2mWlJ6kRJh0BpCDJlfb8G_R0VEP34_0phQ4nXNRxZhnfc8COlW_ID9naUJnd5q5-PZnjU8CUSixAOaYyNCvlbvO9_ua3OxEWdcMOHUs-/s320/librarian.jpeg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>The Booksearchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277384258328506949noreply@blogger.com0