Fantastic poetry!

Sent from my iPhoneThis book blew me away! I stumbled upon it while trying to pick up a copy of Helen Frost's SALT at my local bookstore. It is a realistic fiction story of the students and teacher within a school year. The whole novel is a collection of free verse poems from each character. I think it is going to be a perfect read aloud this year, begging for second reads and mentor text.
I am also waiting for SALT, because I think it will be just as wonderful. This book would pair well with FLYING SOLO, BECAUSE OF MR. TERUPT, OPERATION YES or maybe even LOVE THAT DOG.

Vacation Reading

Our family spent a wonderfully relaxing week in northern Michigan last week. We had lots of sand and sun time, but I also lucky to find plenty of reading time. I cannot resist an independent book store and many towns in northern Michigan have at least one. They always earn a sale from me!
I finished the following books, in no particular order, last week:


Circus Mirandus  - 5/5 - A magical blend of storytelling at it's finest. This story centers around a young boy dealing with the illness of his grandfather, which brings on a nasty visit from his aunt. With the possibility of losing his beloved grandfather, Micah attempts to venture to the magical circus his grandfather is always telling him stories about experiencing. Micah believes the key to possibly saving his grandfather's life might be at Circus Mirandus. Along the way, Micah encounters the what true friendship might really be after all.
The way the author, Cassie Beasley, dealt with large issues of death, family, and friendship with stay with me for a very long time. Beautiful writing throughout this book. A definite must read for anyone who has also enjoyed Snicker of Magic or Clockwork Three or even Real Boy. Themes of friendship, death, loss, and friendship.



The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate  - 5/5 - I fell in love with Calpurnia in the first book in this series and that love grew during this second book. This series, set at the turn of the century, follows the only girl in a large Texas family. Instead of being content to learn the ways of "being a young lady of the house", Calpurnia instead has dreams of learning as much as she can about nature and science with her educated grandfather. With a brother who is constantly bringing home "orphaned" animals and a new vet in town to work for, Calpurnia definitely will be adding new information to her science journal. I found much more humor in this story compared to the first, and I enjoyed the events of the Galveston hurricane that occurred in the early 1900's being a large part of the story.



Stella by Starlight  - 5/5 - Sharon Draper is a favorite of my classes with a popular read aloud each year being Out Of My Mind. This might be my new favorite Draper read! Based on stories from her father and a journal left from her grandmother, Draper weaves a historical fiction tale that needs to be read by middle schoolers. The main character, Stella, lives in a small town in North Carolina that is very separated. This all comes to a head when the Klu Klux Klan becomes active in the town and Stella and her brother witness it.
There are moments of fear and moments of triumph that move this story to the top of my future read aloud list with students. Those that have enjoyed books by Christopher Paul Curtis or are looking for their next favorite historical fiction novel - need to read this!



The Honest Truth - 5/5 - Brillant book! I am still having trouble putting this book into words to share without sharing too much. The story is told by jumping back and forth between Mark and his best friend. Mark, the main character, has decided to run away from home and climb a mountain he has always dreamed of climbing as a way to escape some news about his health. His best friend, Jess, may know where Mark is headed and has the tough decision of keeping the secret or telling. It is gritty and real and just so well done. I was openly sobbing through parts of this book. The writing is perfect!



Rain Reign - 5/5 - Rose has gotten a dog from her father. The only gift he has really ever brought her and he brought it home from the back of the neighborhood bar. She names the dog Rain, because she loves names that are homophones, and now has a best friend. But stories can't end there! A hurricane blows through and Rose's father lets Rain out...Rose will find Rain no matter what the cost.
This would be a great book to pair with Rules or Because of Winn Dixie. Ann Martin just writes characters we can fall in love with!


Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk - 4/5 - Great twist on the classic Jack In The Beanstalk with a little bit of Jack the Giant Killer thrown in. Anyone who has read Rump or wants a fun twisted fairy tale should pick this one up soon! This author also has another twisted fairy tale coming out this spring called Red. Should be equally good!



Better Nate Than Ever - 5/5 - Nate is running away from home! Well, only for the day and only to audition for a play. If everything works out he will be into New York City, auditioned, and back home before his parents even notice...but things rarely work out the way they should. Great, fun read with themes of friendship and being true to yourself. The sequel is out and I am looking forward to reading that soon.

So Many Great New Books!

While I do spend a lot of my time reading, I have gotten a bit more time added to my life because my classroom has a student teacher right now who has taken over the full time teaching and grading. Here are some middle grade novels that are new releases that I enjoyed!

I Kill The Mockingbird - 4/5 stars. Three friends decide that the best way to honor a former teacher who has recently passed away would be to make To Kill A Mockingbird the must read book of the summer in their town. Their plot is so successful that the book becomes the center of a revolution of sorts and the trio must decide how to end the ordeal! I REALLY enjoyed this story! I loved all of the nods to other literature I have read. The innocent love story that develops throughout between Lucy (narrator) and Michael is totally believeable and fun to follow.  I thought the characters were likeable, but a rare find in today's world. Are there kids, tweens, eighth students who speak to their friends like these characters do? Probably, but not in great numbers...unfortunately.  And that combined with the background knowledge of literature I feel a reader would need to truly understand the references to the literature discussed in the novel, were what kept this book being rated a 5/5. I think it would be a great follow up to a student who actually reads To Kill A Mockingbird or a great read aloud so that the references could be discussed. It is a clever plot line. In much the same way that that I feel about Breadcrumbs, which is a fantastic read but needs fairy tale knowledge to understand many references, a reader who does not have background knowledge of more classic literature, mainly To Kill A Mockingbird, will miss so much while reading.  



Fish In A Tree - 5/5 stars - Ally is constantly in trouble and is no fan of school, but when a new teacher begins that might all be changing!
My favorite read over the last few weeks! I think I might make this my new read aloud for the beginning of the school year since so many of my students now come in having read Wonder , my favorite 6th grade read aloud, in elementary school. I think this will be a beautiful way to launch the school year and give us a common character to root for, as we do when we read about Auggie in Wonder. Readers who have loved Wonder, Flying Solo, and Because of Mr. Terupt should check this out too!



Great Greene Heist - 4/5 stars - Reformed Con man, Jackson Greene, might decide to come out of retirement if Keith Sinclair really decides to run for school president! Clever schemes, quick banter, and mulitple story lines that include crushes, gross lunch room food, and family interactions make this a must read for all middle school kids.
 FUN FUN FUN read! This is Ocean Eleven meets Middle School! I loved the multiple characters and story lines. The story was fast paced and clever. Definitely going on my read aloud list. Kids who liked Fourth Stall but haven't found much since that is similiar might enjoy this read. This book might pair well with Swindle as well.

Goodbye Stranger

I was so very thrilled to be able to read an advanced copy of Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead. She is one of my favorite authors to book talk to my sixth graders. Both When You Reach Me and Liar and Spy  are among my favorite titles. This book did not disappoint!



This novel contains two seperate stories. The reader is led back and forth between these two tales. I enjoyed how the narration was completely different from each. The first one, told over most of a school year, is of three best friends trying to make their way through seventh grade while keeping their friendship intact. They face new friends, new interests that are different from one another, gossip, boys, teachers, and issues with technology and privacy. The other story occurs on a single day of a high school girl's life. It is a flashback of events and interactions she has had with friends as she tries to avoid being discovered for skipping school on Valentine's Day. The two stories come to a surprising connection at the end.

This story addresses the very real issue teens face right now about technology and how to communicate correctly with friends and classmates. One wrong choice can be shared with hundreds now with a quick click. It also addresses the idea of "fri-enemies" and subtle bullying that can occur in middle school. Stead handles these topics with sensitivity and age appropriateness that I applaud.

I love Rebecca Stead's surprise story twists she uses for her endings and this story was no different. I knew, from my life as a reader, that these two stories would collide at the end but I could not for the life of me figure out who the high school girl was and how she would be connected to the story of the three middle school girls. Once again, as she did with both of her other two novels, I was surprised and delighted to see the way this story unfolded. Stead is a true master of story telling!

I look forward to sharing this story with students in the future! My only regret is I was only able to secure a digital early copy and therefore will struggle with how to share it with my students before it's release. The novel is set for release on August 4th of this year.   I recommend this story for all middle school readers.

Themes of family, friendship/bullying, choices teens make, and forgiveness would pair this story well with Flipped, Twerp, Because of Mr. Terupt, or Smile

Death By Toilet Paper

Check out this cover!



Who doesn't see the humor in toilet paper? Death by toilet paper? Funny, right? Wrong...
Quickly readers realize that Benjamin has had some loss in his life. Ben and his mom are left struggling emotionally and financially after the death of his father. Ben feels the weight of their financial struggles and vows to do whatever he can to help them keep their apartment, the last place they shared memories with his dad.
I loved this read. I wanted to find Benjamin and hug him at the end of each chapter. Maybe not from death, but there are LOTS of students who need this book...need to see that there are other families and kids struggling financially. I was instantly in love with and rooting for Benjamin to succeed with his plans to make money for the family.
**Similiar books, for themes, might be: Circa Now, Hold Fast, and Counting By 7's.

Favorite Books From 2014

I finished a large amount of books last year, but I wanted to review a few that were my favorites. I fully expect one of these titles to take the Newbery this year or be an honor book for sure! These books have also been favorites with my students.

The Fourteenth Goldfish -
 (summary from Anderson's Book Store website) - Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth?
With a lighthearted touch and plenty of humor, Jennifer Holm celebrates the wonder of science and explores fascinating questions about life and death, family and friendship, immortality . . . and possibility.
Brown Girl Dreaming -
 (summary from Anderson's Book Store website) - Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

El Deafo - for those who LOVED Smile and Sisters, this is wonderful!
  
 (summary from Anderson's Book Store website) - Going to school and making new friends can be tough. But going to school and making new friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to your chest? That requires superpowers! In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, author/illustrator Cece Bell chronicles her hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a very powerful—and very awkward—hearing aid.
The Phonic Ear gives Cece the ability to hear—sometimes things she shouldn’t—but also isolates her from her classmates. She really just wants to fit in and find a true friend, someone who appreciates her as she is. After some trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become “El Deafo, Listener for All.” And more importantly, declare a place for herself in the world and find the friend she’s longed for.

Circa Now - This book had me hooked from the first chapter. The writing, in regards to the loss of the father in the first chapter, blew me away!
 
(summary from Anderson's Book Store website) - Twelve-year-old Circa Monroe has a knack for restoring old photographs. It's a skill she learned from her dad, who loves old pictures and putting fun digital twists on them. His altered "Shopt" photos look so real that they could fool nearly anybody, and Circa treasures the fun stories he makes up to explain each creation. One day, her father receives a strange phone call requesting an urgent delivery, and he heads out into a storm. The unimaginable happens: a tornado, then a terrible accident, and Circa never sees her dad again. Just as Circa and her mom begin to pick up the pieces, a mysterious boy shows up on their doorstep, a boy called Miles who remembers nothing about his past. The only thing he has with him is the photograph that Circa's dad intended to deliver on the day he died. As Circa tries to help Miles recover his identity, she begins to notice something strange about the photos she and her father retouched—the digital flourishes added to the old photos seem to exist in real life. The mysteries of the Shopt photos and Miles's past are intertwined, and in order to solve both, Circa will have to figure out what's real and what's an illusion. With stunning prose, captivating photographs, and a hint of magic, Circa Now is a gripping story full of hope and heart.

Absolutely Almost - If all of your students have read Wonder and 1 and Only Ivan, this might be a nice follow up for a read aloud.
 
(summary from Anderson's Book Store website) - Albie has never been the smartest kid in his class. He has never been the tallest. Or the best at gym. Or the greatest artist. Or the most musical. In fact, Albie has a long list of the things he's not very good at. But then Albie gets a new babysitter, Calista, who helps him figure out all of the things he is good at and how he can take pride in himself.
A perfect companion to Lisa Graff's National Book Award-nominated A Tangle of Knots, this novel explores a similar theme in a realistic contemporary world where kids will easily be able to relate their own struggles to Albie's. Great for fans of Rebecca Stead's Liar and Spy, RJ Palacio's Wonder and Cynthia Lord's Rules.

Night Gardener - Scary and creepy - but historical with the story line of how the children become orphans. Fantastic read!!

 (summary from Anderson's Book Store website) - This much-anticipated follow-up to Jonathan Auxier’s exceptional debut, Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, is a Victorian ghost story with shades of Washington Irving and Henry James. More than just a spooky tale, it’s also a moral fable about human greed and the power of storytelling. The Night Gardener follows two abandoned Irish siblings who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. But the house and its family are not quite what they seem. Soon the children are confronted by a mysterious spectre and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives. With Auxier’s exquisite command of language, The Night Gardener is a mesmerizing read and a classic in the making.

**Paperboy - 
 released 2013 calendar year and did get a Newbery Honor Award along with WAY too many awards to list, but I read it last year and it was AMAZING so I wanted to include it -  (summary from Anderson's Book Store website) - Little Man throws the meanest fastball in town. But talking is a whole different ball game. He can barely say a word without stuttering—not even his own name. So when he takes over his best friend’s paper route for the month of July, he’s not exactly looking forward to interacting with the customers. But it’s the neighborhood junkman, a bully and thief, who stirs up real trouble in Little Man’s life.

My reviews came from Anderson's Book Store. While I have never had the pleasure of visiting their physical store, I benefit from their website often. Please support local or independently owned book stores whenever possible. My favorite one in the Metro Detroit area is Book Beat!