The Book Search

 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!   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 r...

 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. 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. ...

Sometimes you want something light and fluffy to read and sometimes it's good to read something that makes you feel like you actually might learn something or change an idea that you were holding closer than you thought you were.  Since it's Memorial Day weekend, you might think that it's a good idea to read some of the light and fluffy stuff, but let me tell you, these books with big ideas are worth a look, and a read! I just finished reading Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass.  I'm a BIG fan of Wendy Mass.  Her books have THE MOST AMAZING plot twists that I never see coming.  They make me laugh and usually cry and Jeremy Fink is no exception.  The book starts at the end and then flashes back to the start of the story.  Jeremy Fink is almost 13.  His dad died when he was 8 in a terrible accident.  Jeremy has a few issues (he has a very limited choice of things he will eat and most of them are candy, he doesn't like to use public ...