Eclectic new middle grade fiction
It's spring break at my school so my husband and I went on a little trip to Las Vegas. We'd never been before so we had a good time trying to figure out where things were, the best way to get there, and where the best places were to get something to eat. The eating part is actually one of our favorites-my husband is a pastry chef and now teaches culinary at a local high school. We had a great time and due to some flight delays, I had time to read! Here are a few of the high spots. The first one is called "A Bandit's Tale" by Deborah Hopkinson. It's about a boy named Rocco who lives in a small village in Italy with his big family. Rocco makes a bit of a mistake involving a donkey and some money and his parents decide that the best way to "help" Rocco would be to send him to America with a local man who promises that he will take care of Rocco and help him get work. It turns out this "padrone" has a group of boys that he expects to e...