Favorite Middle Grade / YA Books of 2022

 

I read over 70 books in 2022, and there were a lot of good ones. Here are my favorite YA books I read during the 2022 year. 

Ground Zero by Alan Gratz 

Alan Gratz has done it again you guys! This book is amazing, and I purchased two copies for my middle school library.  In typical Alan Gratz style, the story is told in two perspectives.

Brandon is visiting his dad at work when the planes hit the two towers. They are both trapped inside, but on different floors. In present-day Afghanistan, Reshmina has grown up with her country in war, but dreams of peace. She finds a wounded soldier and puts her entire family in danger.  

This book is an emotional look at the events of both 9/11 and living in Afghanistan in 2019.  Alan Gratz always does an amazing job of tying the stories of characters together and this book does not disappoint. 

A must read for ages middle grade up to adults. 

The Companion by Katie Alender 

I don't usually like horror books, but I could not resist the cover of this book. I have a lot of students that love psychological thrillers, so I decided to try a few so that I could be more confident with readers advisory when it came to this genre. 

Margo is an orphan who has been told her whole life that she is lucky to have survived the accident that killed the rest of her family. Then, the Sutton family comes to the orphanage and asks Margot to come live with them to be their ill daughter's companion, Agatha, who doesn't speak. At first, Margot thinks that watching after the mysterious Agatha and hanging out with the handsome older brother is much better than the orphanage. But then, she starts seeing things, and the house is playing tricks with her mind. Are things what they really seem? Margot starts questioning everything about the Sutton family. 

The Last Cuentista 

I cannot say enough about this book!! First off, THAT COVER : it is amazingly beautiful. 

Very much deserved winner of the Newbery award, this science fiction / dystopian novel is an enchanting and impactful story. Petra wants to be a storyteller, just like her abuelita. But earth has been hit by a meteor, and her scientist parents have been chosen to take their family to another planet to carry on the human race. Petra must leave her abuelita behind. 

Hundreds of years later, Petra awakes and discovers she is the only person that still remembers Earth. A group that calls themself The Collective has wiped the memories of all the humans aboard the ship, a mission of wiping out all of humanity's sins. Petra gets her chance to be the storyteller, and hopefully can save the stories of Earth and hopefully continue the stories into the future. 

Starfish 

In this novel in verse, Ellie has been fat-shamed and bullied all her life. Her safe place is the pool, floating, weightless. Her best friend has moved away, but then a new girl moves in next door who befriends Ellie. With her new friend and through her therapist, Ellie learns to stand up for herself and love herself as she is. 

This is a story everyone should read! Every middle school library should have this book. 

I love the theme of the book, standing up for yourself and your right to take up space in the world. 

Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame 

Set in 1857, Meera has her future planned out for her, including who she will marry. The night before her 13th birthday, as she prepares to move in with her husband, British soldiers destroy a village in Delhi. In the attack, Meera's husband is killed. Following an old religious tradition, Meera's father insists she ends her life by throwing herself onto her husband's funeral pyre. Meera escapes her family, running away. Her newfound freedom is short as she is captured by a British commander and forced to be a servant for his wife. While working for the commander's family, she finds out some secrets that will bring down the army. Will she face the fire and write her own destiny? 

This is a part of history you don't see often in middle grade historical fiction. Very eye-opening about the British colonization of middle east. I highly recommend this beautiful story about strong young women who make their own destiny.

Queen of Ruin 

This one is actually the second book in a duology about girl power and sisterhood. Naomi and Serina are attempting to lead the women of Mount Ruin to freedom after being banished there by the evil Asa. Both sisters grow stronger in the book and truly find their inner strength. 

The best thing about this book are the characters. The author not only does an amazing job with the main characters, but all the side characters, the women of Mount Ruin, are important to the story. 

This duology, Grace & Fury, is a must have for middle grade libraries with fans of fantasy. 

Thirst

A MUST read for every school. The perfect example of a book described as a "window": this book allows us to see the realities of the water crisis in other parts of the world. 

Minni lives in the poorest aread of Mumbai where access to water is limited, and even the water they have access to must be boiled to be safe. Minni's brother witnesses a water theft, and from fear of the water gang is sent to the country to live safely. Then her mom falls ill, so Minni must take over her mom's maid job. Minni sees how the rich live, with water flowing from a faucet and not having to carry it in buckets to their home. She also discovers that the man owning the home where she works is the water mafia boss. Does she expose him and risk her job and maybe her life?

Part of the Global Read Aloud, this book is an important read. We often don't pay attention to what goes on in other parts of the world, but seeing the reality of the water crisis is important for students to see. 

Shape of Thunder 

THE SHAPE OF THUNDER by Jasmine Warga is one of our Lone Star list books for 2022. I am pleased with the book, and think my 6th graders will love it. The time travel concept was a little off, but not too weird. That's why I think this book will be more for my younger readers. I think my older readers will have a hard time believing that these two girls really believe that they can find a wormhole and travel back in time.

Other than the time travel concept, the characters are done really well! I wish a little more info had been given about Cora's mom. The relationship between the two girls and how it ties into the school shooting is written very well.

Highly recommend for 5th - 7th graders, but be sure they understand the school shooting concept and can handle reading about death and grief.

Blackbird Girls 

A powerful historical fiction set in 1986 in Ukraine about Chernobyl. Told in alternating perspectives of Oksana and Valentina, two enemies who find themselves teaming up together to find their fathers who worked in the factory. After the explosion, families are evacuated to but the families are separated. The girls end up with Valentina's grandmother, who lived through dangers of being a Jew in 1941. 

 

This story is beautifully written and about an event that isn't often written about in historical fiction. The characters learn to be resilient, have hope, and who they can truly trust. This is an emotional book that readers of historical fiction will devour. 

Alone 

This book was unique: survival story, dysptopian, and novel in verse. Three things you don't usually see put together.

I really enjoyed this story of survival and the author's writing is beautiful. Being a novel in verse makes it a faster read, but the poetic devices the author uses builds the story and setting.

The biggest mark down, and which I almost even gave it 3 instead of 4, is that the conflict is not built up or even well explained. There has been an emergency evacuation of the entire western side of the US, but no reason is given. Is this taking place in the future, has a different government taken over? More explanation is really needed.

Some have marked this as a children's book, it is absolutely not. 6th or 7th grade and up only. I would not have this for 4th/5th graders due to a descriptive animal cruelty scene, among other details.

Rivals 

Americans Royals book number 3!!! I love this series so much, and I have had great conversations with my students about this series. There was a 7th grade male student my first year as a middle school librarian that introduced me to this series; he loved reading romance books. We had our own little lunch time book club where we would discuss this book. I wish I knew what school he was at now so we could discuss the second and third book in the series. 

If you haven't read this series, and you like YA, go get this series now. It takes place in an alternate reality where George Washington became king instead of president. Now the Washington family are the royals of the USA, and Beatrice will be the first female queen. 

In the third book, Beatrice is now queen and rivalry is in the air. Betrayal, love, friendships, and enemies are all part of this exciting book. 

Gallant 

Olivia has grown up in an orphanage, but then receives a letter to come home to a family she has never known existed. She arrives at Gallant and immediately knows something is off. Her cousin wants her to leave and she begins seeing ghouls. Olivia sets out to solve the mystery of Gallant. 

This horror/gothic was very emotional at the end, even though the beginning was slow moving. I'm not usually a fan of horror, but this one was exciting and left me turning pages. Highly recommend for middle school and high school libraries where horror and fantasy are popular. I would rate this 7th grade and up. 

 

January Book Talks

 

6th grade book talks 

7th grade book talks

8th grade book talks

First Chapter Friday - Adventures of Coyote Sunrise

 

Ban This Book

Gratz, Alan. Ban This Book. Starscape Books, 2017. 

Amy Anne Ollinger is shocked when she rushes to the library to check out her favorite book, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, only to find it not on the shelf. Mrs. Jones, the school librarian, gives Amy Anne the bad news: the book has been banned from the school library! All because a fellow student's mom thinks the book is inappropriate for elementary students.

You cannot help but fall in love with Amy Anne. Gratz does an incredible job of establishing the character in order for middle grade readers to relate. Amy Anne is very shy and soft spoken, but throughout the book gains confidence to speak up for what she believes in. Amy Anne does not back down from the banning of her favorite book, and in turn establishes a secret Banned Book Locker Library.

Amy Anne begins to realize that many more students are backing her up on her war against the banned books. Their antics to fight the school board and principal on their decision will make you cheer along through the whole book!

Book lovers and librarians will adore this book that defends the right to read. I applaud the approach that Gratz has for this subject. He successfully disputes this issue on a students level, and is able to add humor to the situation.

I cannot wait to get this book into my students' hands! I have a feeling that the challenged/banned books mentioned in Ban This Book will be flying off my shelf soon as well.

REFUGEE by Alan Gratz

Gratz, Alan. REFUGEE. Scholastic, 2017. 

Summary

Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are all 3 young people that must escape terrible circumstances in their home countries. 

Josef is a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany. 

Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. 

Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. 

All three must escape with their families in search of refuge. Each face unimaginable trials and dangers on their journey, but all have the hope of tomorrow. And even though the three young refugess are from different countries and decades, their stories are connected in a surprising way.

My Review 

Alan Gratz does an amazing job of building the three characters throughout the story. The cliff-hanger endings of each chapter keep the reader interested, and makes the book hard to put down. The only characters that could have used more depth is in Isabel's story. The number of people on the boat, and we don't ever really get to know any of them. I would have liked to know more about Lito. 

The stories are historically acurate, and Gratz gives an author's note at the end going deeper into the historical facts. He does admit to using artistic licensing to make parts of the story flow better. 

I can't say enough about how emotional and powerful the stories are in this book. The importance of family is an important theme throughout the book, as well as over coming hardships. I highly recommend this book for middle school students and up. Every adult should read this book! 

Bluebonnet Book 

After reading this book, I am having a hard time understanding why this was placed on the Bluebonnet List. For those of you that don't know, the Bluebonnet List is a list of 20 books recommended for 3rd - 6th graders in Texas. Students that read 5 or more books are typically rewarded by their school librarian and get the chance to vote on the winning book. 

While this book is amazing and I think everyone should read it, the book is definitely for grades 6 and up. Possbily 5th graders that are emotionally mature. As school librarians, it is our job to ensure that the materials in our library are age appropriate and appropriate for the emotional development of our students. This book is highly intense with violent scenes that are absolutely not age appropriate for 3rd graders. 

I urge every Texas librarian to read this book, and before recommending this to your students, know your students emotional maturity level. Yes, this is factual information and events that are really happening in our world. However, many of our younger students are not ready for this level of violence and intense scenes.

**According to professional book reviews, this book is appropriate for grades 7 and up. 

Favorite Picture Books of 2017

If you've been keeping up with my blog, you know that my passion is collaborating and co-teaching with the classroom teachers. However, I also really love story time! Especially with kindergarten and first grade students. There is just something magical in the way that the students will sit and listen to a story being read.

I have compiled my top 10 favorite books that I read aloud to classes in the year 2017. These books were not necessarily published in 2017, but they were books I chose to read aloud during the year 2017 to my students.

***These are in no particular order.***

La Princesa and the Pea

One of my favorite fairy tales from when I was little was The Princess and the Pea. This is a latino take on the original story. The author incorporates Spanish words into the story, so it was really fun to read with our bilingual class. They enjoyed telling me when I said the word wrong and praising me if I said it correct the first time.

The rhyming text makes it fun for a read aloud, and the illustrations are gorgeous! This is perfect for multicultural, fractured fairy tales, and trickster tales!

Elyn, Susan Middleton. La Princessa and the Pea. G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2017.

We Found a Hat

I love Jon Klassen's Hat trilogy, but it is dry humor and not everyone appreciates it. For example, the first of the triloly, I WANT MY HAT BACK, is not something that I would read to my kinders. I don't think they would understand it. This book, though, was not quite as deep and some of the gifted kinders could understand. My first graders and second graders found it to be hilarious! 

Two turtles find a hat. They both want the hat, but there is only one hat. What ever will they do? The ending is so sweet, but the best part is that students have to make inferences to really know what happens.  

Klassen, Jon. We Found a Hat. Candlewick, 2016.

The Grumpy Pets

Billy is a grumpy child, so his mom takes him to the pet store to pick out a pet. Billy does not want a cheerful, cute, playful pet. Then, Billy finds the pets in the back of the pet store. These pets are grouchy, and a bit grumpy just like Billy! 

This is a great read aloud for younger students. The kids laughed out loud at the faces that Billy made, and then all the antics of the pets in the store. There were quite a few oooohs and awwws at the end of the story, too. 

Lombardi, Kristine. The Grumpy Pets. Harry N. Abrams, 2016. 

School's First Day of School

I knew I would love this book when I saw that it was illustrated by Christian Robinson. He is one of my absolute favorite children's illustrators. 

I read this to kinder and first grade back in September when everyone was back at school. It was especially great for the new kinders and all our new first graders. Everyone is nervous the first week of school, but did anyone ever think about how the school building feels the first day of school? In this story, the main character is the school building, who talks to the janitor each day. The school is really nervous about school starting, but everything turns out great. By the end of the day, the school decides he wants the children to come back. 

Rex, Adam. School's First Day of School. illustrated by Christian
 Robinson. Roaring Book Press, 2016. 

Samson in the Snow

Samson, a wooly mammoth, has a dandelion patch, which is his favorite flower because yellow is his favorite color. While tending to his dandelions, Samson meets a red bird. The red bird asks if he can have just 3 dandelions to give to his friend, who loves anything yellow. Samson allows the bird to have the flowers, then begins to dream of what it would be like to have a friend. He wakes up to snow everywhere! On his journey through the blizzrd, he finds the mouse and offers him shelter. Samson finds out the mouse is looking for his friend, that turns out to be the red bird! A beautiful story of friendship and kindness. 

Stead, Philip C. Samson in the Snow. Roaring Book Press, 2016. 

Good Night Owl

If you do not own any of Greg Pizzoli's picture books, I implore you to buy some for your library this week!! He is a fabulous author, and the kids love his books. 

Good Night Owl is about an owl that is just trying to get some sleep. As soon as Owl settles down into his cozy bed, he hears a sound. He knows he will never be able to sleep if he doesn't find the sound. He looks everywhere: cupboards, floorboards, even the walls! While tearing up his house to find the sound, he misses a small mouse-shaped detail. 

The best part of the story is the illustrations. Owl's cute pajamas made the kids crack up, and with the mouse hidden on each page we all had a case of the giggles. 

Pizzoli, Greg. Good Night Owl. Disney-Hyperion, 2016.

Nugget & Fang: Friends Forever -- Or Snack Time?

Who doesn't love a good book with a shark? How about a shark that is a vegetarian?! My students love shark books, and this book did not disapppoint! 

Nugget and Fang are the best of friends, and they love swimming together in the big ocean. Then Nugget has to go to minnow school, where he learns the dangers of sharks. Fang has to prove to Nugget that he can be trusted. He takes desparate and hilarious measures to get Nugget back as a friend. 

The illustrations make the book even more hilarious. The text and illustrations also make this a great book for making predictions. 

Sauer, Tammi. Nugget & Fang: Friends Forever or Snack Time? illustrated by
Michael Slack. HMH Books for Young Readers. 2013. 

Alan's Big Scary Teeth

This book was so fun to read aloud, because you can make the different voices for Alan the Alligator and the other animals. The kids love to hear the different voices, it draws them in. 

Alan comes from a long line of alligators who are great at being scary. He doesn't know how to do anything else, so he scares the other animals in the jungle with his big scary teeth. What a surprise to find out his big, scary teeth are FALSE, and he loses them one day! What will Alan do now? 

My favorite thing about this book is the look of astonishment on the kids' faces when we find out that Alan's teeth are false! 

Jarvis. Alan's Big Scary Teeth. Candlewick Press, 2016. 

Penguin Problems

Who doesn't love a good picture book with penguins? How about a penguin who doesn't know if he likes being a penguin? His home is too cold, other animals are trying to eat him, everyone looks the same, and the list goes on. The long speech by the walrus was a little much, but if you talk in a funny voice you can keep their attention. The ending is hilarious, and helps teach making inferences. 

John, Jory. Penguin Problems. illustrated by Lane Smith.
Random House Books for Young Readers, 2016. 

The William Hoy Story

I am a huge baseball fan, so I knew I would love this biography about William Hoy, a professional baseball player who struggled because he was deaf. On top of his teammates and other teams shunning him because of his disability, he couldn't hear the umpires. He works to have the umpires use hand signals for the calls. This changed the way the game of baseball was played. 

This amazing biography teaches perserverance, and is a great read for any student that loves baseball or biographies. 

It was hard to make my top ten choices, because so many great books have been written. What was your favorite picture book you read in 2017?

4th Grade Book Recommendations

We are wrapping up the school year, and it is time to start collecting library books for the annual inventory. It is always a sad time for me when I have to close the library, but the library has to be prepared for summer. The students always ask me what they will do if I'm closed. The 4th grade teacher and I put our heads together and came up with the idea that the students should make recommendations to each other for their summer reading.

The padlet was created for the students to add their book recommendations, and I have been blown away with how many students have added their favorite books. This link will be available to the students all summer. Students will be able to look for a book recommendation as well as add new books that they recommend.

It makes me so happy to see the students excited about books and recommending to each other. They come to me often when they need something to read, but having your peer recommend a book can be more meaningful.

LITTLE CAT'S LUCK by Marion Dane Bauer

Little Cat's Luck by Marion Dane Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has a charming cover which appealed to me from the beginning. I love free verse novels, so I was excited to read this book, and it did not disappoint.

Patches, the little cat, is mesmerized by a falling golden leaf, and she falls out of the window. Wondering off following the leaf, Patches loses her home and has trouble finding her way back. On a mission to find the perfect special place, Patches meets an unlikely friend. Gus is the meanest dog in town, but why is he so mean?

Kids, 2nd - 4th grade, will love this free verse novel, especially if they are fans of animals. I am pleased that this on our Texas Bluebonnet list this year.

Some other reviewers complained that the human characters did not have their cat spayed or microchipped. Remember, this book is written for elementary age children that will fall in love with the animal characters. This is a must for every elementary school library.

View all my reviews

Book Suggestions: If You Like JUNIE B. JONES

This book suggestion post is for my younger scholars, since the first few were really for my older students. However, even if you are an older student and used to love Junie B. when you were in first grade, you just might find a new book for you to read now.

When I was a classroom teacher, I would read Junie B. books to my first graders often. They loved for me to read aloud, and this encouraged them to start reading chapter books. Yes, Junie B. can be a brat sometimes and is sometimes rude to another classmate, but it is written as funny, not hateful. And, the kids find her to be hilarious, so they read the books! This is what we really want, for kids to pick up a book and read.

So, if you love Junie B., or just want to find an alternative to Junie B. for you children, here are some suggestions:

CLEMENTINE by Sarah Pennypacker is about a super-spunky third grade girl that is having a disastrous week. Nothing seems to be going right for her, and all her teachers keep telling her to pay attention when she is paying attention to the spot on the art teacher's tie. Clementine has a brother, Lima Bean or Brussel Sprouts. His name changes daily, because if Clementine must have a fruit name her brother must have a vegetable name. Clementine is full of fun and creative ideas, some of which get her sent to the principal's office.  This series about third grader Clementine will make you laugh until you cry. This would be a great read aloud for classrooms or a great beginning chapter book series. 

KATIE KAZOO SWITCHEROO by Nancy Krulik is a chapter book series about a third grader named Katie Carew. George, a bully in Katie's class, makes fun of Katie and names her Katie Kazoo. Katie cannot take it anymore, and she wishes on a shooting star that she could be someone else. The next day at school, her wish comes true! She finds herself as the class pet hamster! Katie, being a very smart and resourceful third grader, finds her way out of numerous disasters in this series. She uses her new magical power to learn new things about her classmates, including the reason why George is such a bully. 

 IVY AND BEAN by Annie Barrows is another chapter book series that is good for students beginning to read chapter books and reluctant readers. At first, Bean and Ivy do not like each other. Then, Bean plays a joke on her sister and has to hide quickly. Ivy comes to the rescue and they realize they have more in common than they thought. Ivy and Bean are both very creative and imaginative, creating new games and solving problems. However, they do often stir up more trouble than they mean to. Their silly antics will make you laugh, though. Short chapters and lots of illustrations make this a great series for kids just getting interested in chapter books. 

School will be starting before we know it! I can't wait to hear what all my scholars have been reading this summer. 

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Book Suggestions: If you liked HARRY POTTER

I told you last week I would make suggestions for all you Harry Potter fans out there, or Potterheads! I know there are a lot of you, because these books were never on the shelves. In fact, when all books were due, I had trouble fitting them back on the shelves.

If you have not read the Harry Potter series, I have to say it is a MUST READ!! The books are fantastic, magical, and some of my absolute favorite books ever. Watching the movies don't count, by the way.... 

So, if you are a Potterhead and have already read all the Harry Potter books more than once, here are some suggestions for you:

WINTERLING by Sarah Prineas is the first in a trilogy. This book is a fantasy, filled with magic, shape-shifters, and fairy-like creatures. Fer is an orphan, similar to Harry Potter, and is a bit of an odd-ball. She has always felt like she doesn't belong in her world. She then rescues a creature who knows who Fer really is, and invites her to a realm where magic is real. Fer must battle evil, unlock the secrets about her missing parents, and find her true self.

I highly recommend this book to Potter fans. I can't wait to finish the trilogy, so if you have already read the books, don't spoil it for me!

FABLEHAVEN by Brandon Mull is another great read for Potterheads, especially if you were intrigued by all the magical creatures. FABLEHAVEN is the first in a series of books about Kendra and Seth. Their parents are going on a cruise for 17 days, so Kendra and Seth are dropped off at the grandfather's place. At first, they are grumpy about the arrangement, but then they find out that their grandfather is the caretaker of Fablehaven, a sanctuary for magical creatures. But Seth is a bit more curious then he should be, and rules of Fablehaven are broken! You have to read to find out what happens next.

THE FAMILIARS by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson is a book with wizards and magical animals. Jack is a wizard in training, and must choose his magical animal, or familiar. He chooses an orphan cat, Aldwyn, that happened upon the magical pet shop by accident. Aldwyn must convince the other familiars that he is a powerful cat. But then, Jack and the other wizards in training are captured by the evil queen. Can an alley cat, a blue -jay, and a frog with magical powers save them?

THE FAMILIARS remind me of Hedwig and Crookshanks from the Harry Potter series. If you like this book, you can read more of the story in the series.

SAVVY by Ingrid Law is about the Beaumont family and their magical secrets. Mibs is about to turn thirteen, which means she will find out her savvy, or supernatural power. Her brother can cause hurricanes, her grandpa can move mountains, and now she will find out her power. Is Mibs ready, will her power save her Poppa, who doesn't have a savvy? Ingrid Law is an amazing storyteller, and the characters in this book are all delightful.

SAVVY is the first book in the trilogy by Ingrid Law.




Don't forget to post the pics of you and your family reading on Twitter, use #gisdreads. If you need suggestions that I have not posted yet, feel free to email me this summer.

Book Suggestions: If You Liked DIARY OF A WIMPY KID

As I promised, here are book suggestions for your summer reading. I know many of my readers love the DIARY OF A WIMPY KID series, and have read them more than once.  So, my first book suggestions will be for you readers that love this series.

If you like Diary of a Wimpy Kid you should also read:

  Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson

This is the first book in the Middle School series, and a movie is coming out this summer based on this book.  The main character, Rafe, is starting middle school and has a handful of problems at home. Rafe and his friends make up a game where they earn points by breaking the rules of their very strict principal. Along the way, Rafe meets up with the school bully and has his first crush.

Inside the book are lots of cartoon drawings to tell the story, similar to the drawings in Diary of a Wimpy Kid. 

 My Life as a Book by Janet Tashjian

This is the first book in the My Life series. Derek is excited that summer is starting and is planning lots of mischief and silly investigations. Unfortunately, his mom has other plans and is sending him to Learning Camp. His mom wants him to read books other than his comics and graphic novels. He reluctantly goes off to summer camp and makes some unexpected friendships.

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

Another first in a series, the Spy School series. Ben is an average middle school student, but is very clumsy. His dream job is to be a CIA agent. He is picked to attend a math magnet school, but due to mistaken identify is sent to Spy School. Does Ben, with all his clumsiness and mishaps, have what it takes to be a secret agent?

**This book does use minor curse words, so this book is for my older readers.




Stay tuned this summer for more book suggestions. Next week, I will have book suggestions for you Harry Potter lovers!

What are you reading this summer?

Don't forget, you can read books from your computer and tablets this summer by downloading eBooks.  The Big Nate and the Alvin Ho books are all available as eBooks. These two series are also great reads if you enjoyed the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Your login is your student id # and password is gisd.

RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE by Kate DiCamillo

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honestly, I expected more from this book after all the raving reviews I saw on Twitter from other librarians. I think if I had not seen previous reviews I would have liked the book better, and not had different expectations.

The beginning is very slow, and hard to really grasp. Especially the character of Louisiana Elefante. She is almost unbelievable at times in the beginning. But then, without even realizing it, you are sucked into this book and find yourself anxiously waiting to find out the outcome for the three main characters. I wanted to pluck Beverly from the book and bring her home to raise as my own child!

I have not decided my feelings about the ending of this book just yet. Is it even real, or is Raymie dreaming. I won't say anything because I don't want to give away spoilers, but some of the ending was strange, but beautifully written.



View all my reviews

ECHO by Pam Muñoz Ryan

This book! It is hard to put in words how I feel about ECHO by Pam Muñoz Ryan. This book is why I love reading! Winner of the 2016 Newbery honor, ECHO will make you feel every emotion and you will fall in love with each character you meet in this novel, and they will live in your heart forever.

I hope I can do justice to this book in my summary and book review, but here goes.....

First, let me say that I love books, REALLY love books. However, rarely do I just really rave about a book the way that I have raved about ECHO. When I first held this book in my hand knowing it is a 2016-2017 Texas Bluebonnet book, I was not sure of how I felt. First of all, rarely do the larger books ever win the Bluebonnet award because so many 3rd - 6th graders don't want to read a book this size. So, typically the smaller books win the award. My hope is that with enough book talks I can encourage my students to read this book.

ECHO is divided into four parts. The first 3 parts introduce you to characters that each come across a harmonica with a magical background. We meet Freidrich, who lives in Germany and is witnessing the rise of Hitler's power. He witnesses cruel injustices happening to his friends and his father and must escape to survive and save his father. Next we meet Mike and Frankie, orphans living in America just before World War II. Mike, only 11 years old, must take care of his younger brother, Frankie and ensure that they not be separated.  The final main character that we meet is Ivy, who is the daughter of a migrant farmer in California. Ivy has to deal with moving to new places, as well as injustices at a new school because of the color of her skin. 

All three main characters are linked by the great musical talent, and in part four we see how their lives are connected by the simple harmonica that they have each come in contact with. 

”Your fate is not yet sealed.
Even in the darkest night, a star will shine,
A bell will chime, a path will be revealed.”

From the very beginning of this book to the last page, ECHO was inspiring, heartbreaking, and enchanting.  The historical content is well told and detailed, and while the book does not contain a lot of historical detail, the historical setting is very important. Each character lives in a time of great historical struggle and some of the darker eras in our history. The reader will be inspired by Ryan's strong characters and the way they overcome the struggles of their time.

FUZZY MUD by Louis Sachar

Sachar, Louis. 2015. FUZZY MUD. New York: Delecorte Books for Young Readers. 

Tamara is a fifth grader who does the right thing no matter what. Teachers love her! Marshall is her seventh grade friend and neighbor that she walks home with because she is not allowed to walk home by herself. Chad is the new kid that has decided to bully Marshall, and no one knows why.

One day, Chad tells Marshall they are going to fight after school, so Marshall decides to take a shortcut home to avoid him. Tamara knows something isn't right, but she reluctantly follows. They get lost and come across some strange looking mud that appears fuzzy. Things get worse than they could ever imagine!

Review

Louis Sachar does an amazing job combining science, government, and suspense in his latest book. Sachar is great at scaring children and creating suspense. The characters in this book are fabulous. Sachar introduces each of them and builds them up so that the reader understands their actions. I would have liked to have had more story about Chad to understand him more throughout the book. Sachar does a wonderful job of running three story lines parallel to each other, then having them meet together at the end. 

This is a wonderful book full of friendship and acceptance. It will be a great read for young readers and middle grade readers that like scary books and suspenseful books. 

CIRCUS MIRANDUS by Cassie Beasley

Micah Tuttle, 10 years old, lives with his Grandpa Ephraim. Micah loves to hear his grandpa's stories of a magical circus, Circus Mirandus. Unfortunately, Grandpa Ephraim is sick and dying. Great-aunt Gertrudis has moved in to take care of Grandpa. Micah hoped she would be as fun as Grandpa Ephraim, but Great-aunt Gertrudis does not approve of the magical stories and forbids Micah to go into Grandpa's room. She doesn't want Micah to annoy a dying man, and she doesn't want Grandpa telling silly stories to a child. 

Micah and Grandpa sneak around Great-aunt Gertrudis to see each other and Grandpa continues to tell his stories about Circus Mirandus and the LightBender. Micah seeks out the magical circus and takes along his skeptical best friend, Jenny. Micah believes the LightBender can heal his grandfather and prolong his life. 

Beasley, Cassie. 2015. CIRCUS MIRANDUS. Dial Books.  

Review

I found myself very intrigued by the characters, especially Micah and his grandfather. Their relationship is fantastic and you fall in love with them immediately. Aunt Gertrudis is a very cruel character, such as the stepmother in Cinderella. She is over the top cruel and abusive to Micah, but the author portrays her very well. The reader will definitely be angry with her on many levels. I am still undecided about Jenny. I could almost do without her in the story. She is very skeptical and refuses to believe in magic. Her scientific reasoning for every magical event is borderline obnoxious. 

This is a wonderful fantasy book and will have young readers clinging to the pages until the very end.  Circus Mirandus is a place that kids and adults will want to explore. 

2016 Texas BlueBonnet Nominee

BROWN GIRL DREAMING by Jacqueline Woodson

Woodson, Jacqueline.  2014. BROWN GIRL DREAMING. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books. ISBN 9780399252518


Brown Girl Dreaming is a collection of free verse poems written by the African American poet, Jacqueline Woodson. The poems are memoirs of her life as she grew up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, in both the North and the South. Each poem fits together to give the reader a glance into Woodson's childhood as she tries to find where she fits in. As a child, she spent half of her years in the North where she was teased for being a Jehovah's Witness, meaning she followed rules many of her friends didn't understand. The other half of each year was spent in the South with her grandparents, where she was teased for her funny way of speaking. Woodson was compared by teachers to her highly intelligent sister, but Woodson had trouble reading. Through the poems, the reader sees Woodson grow and become more aware of the Civil Rights Movement. She also finds support through her family and realizes her love of stories and writing.

This book, written in free verse poetry, will appeal to many ages of readers. Children, especially middle grades, will enjoy reading the story of Jacqueline and will be able to relate to her experiences. Adults, as well, will relate to the experiences in the elegant poems, and will appreciate the situation and time. Each poem stirs up emotions in the reader, and are beautifully written. Full of imagery, the reader is able to 'step' into Jacqueline's life. This true life memoir has the ability to encourage children and young adults of any race who are struggling with school, be it academics or socially.

Spotlight Poem

on paper

The first time I write my full name

Jacqueline Amanda Woodson

without anybody's help
on a clean white page in my composition notebook,
    I know

if I wanted to

I could write anything. 

Letter's becoming words, words gathering meaning, 
    becoming
thoughts outside my head

becoming sentences

written by

                      Jacqueline Amanda Woodson

Excerpt from BROWN GIRL DREAMING by Jacqueline Woodson

The above poem is one of my favorites from the book because it shows the passion that Jacqueline has for writing.  There is also a poem titled "Composition Notebook" in which Woodson describes with beautiful imagery the way her first composition notebook smells, feels, and looks. "Hard not to smile as I held it, felt the breeze as I fanned the pages" (Woodson 2014, p. 154). The poets use of imagery allows the reader to experience in their minds the things that Jacqueline experienced growing up. 

The first pages of the book includes a family tree of the Woodson family and the Irby family.  The Irby family is Jacqueline's mom's side of the family, and the grandparents that she visited each summer in Greenville, South Carolina. In the conclusion of the book are actual photographs of Jacqueline's family. I found myself wanting to know more about each character at the end of the book. 

Activities for the Classroom

There are many teaching ideas and ways to share this book with your students, particularly grades 4 - 8.  During a unit over the Civil Rights Movement, this book would be a great extension. The first poem in the book, titled "February 12, 1963", has references to sit ins and marching for freedom. Begin your lesson or unit with this poem, along with some top news stories from 1963. 

Throughout the book, Jacqueline Woodson speaks of her composition notebook. This notebook is a significant object throughout the book and Woodson's childhood. Allow students to discuss a significant object in their life, and how this object impacts their life and says about themselves. 

Follow up with some of Jacqueline Woodson's pictures books that are set in the 1960s and compare them to Woodson's memoir, BROWN GIRL DREAMING.  Following is a list of Woodson's picture books that would tie in wonderfully with this book.

Woodson, Jacqueline. 2001. THE OTHER SIDE. illustrated by E.B. Lewis. New York, NY: Putnam Juvenile. ISBN 9780399231162

Woodson, Jacqueline. 2013. THIS IS THE ROPE. illustrated by James Ransome. New York, NY: Nancy Paulen Books. ISBN 9780399239861

Awards for BROWN GIRL DREAMING

National Book Award for Young People's Literature, 2014
Newbery Honor, 2015
Sibert Honor, 2015
Coretta Scott King Award for Author, 2015