The Cheerleaders of Doom

Cheerleaders of Doom by Michael Buckley



OK, I admit it. I absolutely love this series. It makes me laugh out loud every time I read one of them. This series tells the story of 5 kids, all nerds for various reasons, who are super secret agents as well as middle school students. Their very weaknesses are what give them their powers. In this, the third book in the series, Matilda "Wheezer" Choi, who has asthma and super powered inhalers, is recruited to infiltrate a national cheer leading competition in order to track down a criminal mastermind who can travel to alternate dimension versions of earth in order to steal valuables from them. The team's arch enemy Heathcliff is back to help, but has ulterior motives as usual. The humor is decidedly tongue incheek, and it reads as if it's a twisted spy novel. I recommend this book for fans of humor and spy novels.

This review is based on a library copy.

Until next time, bon voyage and happy reading!

The Big Awards

A thought on the big awards (Newbery, Caldecott, National Book Award, etc.).

I remember reading a blog post from an author who will remain nameless that they would not win the Newbery award. This author seemed a bit sad about that, and my immediate thought was - they totally have the wrong attitude. Totally wrong. In my opinion, no author of children's literature should aspire to win the big awards. The winners of these are selected by adults for reasons that make more sense to adults than to children. No, children's literature authors should aspire to win awards selected by children! The children's choice awards, both by state and nationally, are the real goals in my opinion. The children are, after all, the intended audience for these books. Who better to choose what's award worthy!

I hope that the author comes to understand just how important it ISN'T to win the big awards, and how important it IS to have children as fans.

Until next time, bon voyage and happy reading.

RJ Palacio Interview

I can't say too much what a lovely book I thought Wonder was.  I love books and reading, but I am rarely moved by them in the way that I was by this book.

Here's two resources related to this book:

A School Library journal interview with the author.

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/newsletters/newsletterbucketcurriculumconnections/894233-442/ccmay2012_interview.html.csp

RJ Palacio introducing Wonder.

http://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=7465&a=1

The author's website has a long list of ineresting trivia from the book and from her writing of it.

http://rjpalacio.com/index.html

Free Comic Book Day

I spent 2 hours Sunday reading through my haul. For the first time, my son and I participated in Free Comic Book Day.  I'd heard about it before, but I really didn't know what it was about. We went to a local comic book store soon after they had opened and stood in a line that spanned the entire store. We waited patiently, my son wide eyed at all the comics, and excited when he saw his beloved Sonic the Hedgehog. When we reached the front of the line, we asked for a pack for my son and a pack for me, and we left in comic heaven. After getting our free books (every store passes them out differently, but we got about 8 comics in each pack!), we retired to Starbucks to review and start reading our take aways!

I know some people have problems with comics, but for some of my students, it's the graphic novels that get them reading for the first time.

Free Comic Book Day is offered on the first Saturday in May every year.

If you are interested, please check out the official website after the jump:
Free Comic Book Day, http://www.freecomicday.com/

Until next time, bon voyage and happy reading!

Crush

Crush by Gary Paulsen

Wow. The king of adventure stories with a romance! In this delightful book, Kevin from Liar, Liar and Flat Broke is trying to ask out the love of his life. However, since he's nervous, he decides to take a scientific approach and study other couples, both successful and not. He learns a lot by observing others, as much of it about himself as about love or the people he's studying. I found Kevin to be a believable, likable character who's situation will ring true to most guys who have struggled with how to ask out a girl.

This review is based on a publisher supplied electronic copy.

Until next time, bon voyage and happy reading!

Audio Book Sync Is On Again This Summer!

Every summer, the AudioFile, the audio book magazine, sponsors Sync. Each week they offer a free recent young adult audio book (downloaded through the Overdrive application), and a matching free classic audio book. This is a great way to introduce kids to the joy of audio books.  I've been a fan for many years. I began listening to audio books when I discovered that, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't keep up with all the books I wanted to read.  I began to listen to audio books during my commute to work. Later I listened when I was doing yard work as well.

This summers free offerings look great, and include three titles on my want to read list as well as a personal favorite - Skulduggery Pleasant.

Just make sure you download the books when they are available. If you wait too long, you won't be able to get them.  I signed up for the texting service this year, and they will text me when each new book is ready for downloading.

Small Medium Large

Small Medium Large by Emily Jenkins, illustrations by Tomek Bogacki

This is a great book to introduce young children to the vocabulary of size. With bright, colorful, and fun illustrations, this is a book kids would want to pick up and read. It is perfect for teachers, home schoolers, and anyone wanting to learn size words to use in math.

This review is based on a publisher supplied electronic copy.

Until next time, bon voyage and happy reading!

Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

This one is definitely middle school and up for swearing and eeriness. Jacob, a normal 16 year old who thinks his grandfather is a bit eccentric, discovers that all the strange stories his grandfather had been telling him just might be true.  In an effort to find out, he travels to a small island off the coast of Wales to search for an orphanage that may or may not even exist. Scattered throughout the book are strange photographs, some clearly trick photography, that lend to the eerie feelings the story evokes. More fantasy than horror, when I reached the end of this book, I immediately wanted more.

This review is based on a library copy.

Until next time, bon voyage and happy reading!

I tried!

I am, admittitedly, a fan of Rockstar (so nicknamed by School Library Journal, I believe) Rick Riordan. The fact that this excellent author is writing 2 series at the same time is nothing short of amazing. When the first book in his Kane series came out last year, I read it. I really enjoyed the interaction between brother and sister Carter and Sadie. However, I just couldn't get into all the strange Egyptian mythology.  Not like I was able to get into the Percy Jackson series.  

A few weeks ago, I really, really, really, really tried to read the second book, Throne of Fire. But by the third chapter I gave up and began book three of the NERDs series. Am I a bad person for this? I really want to like the Kane books, but alas cannot.

*sigh* 

Until next time, bon voyage and happy reading!

My Dog, My Cat

My Dog, My Cat written and illustrated by Ashlee Fletcher



This picture book tells several ways a pet dog and a pet cat are the same, and a few ways they are different. The simple, carefully colored pictures add a lot to the text without being overly distracting. What a great book to use for comparing and contrasting, even with the youngest students! It was a quick, fun read. This review is based on a publisher supplied electronic copy.

Until next time, bon voyage and happy reading!

A Full Moon Rising

A Full Moon Rising by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Julia Cairns



This picture book features poems set around the world, all dealing with the full moon and way it looks or how it is percieved by people. A book with both poetry and science? Sign me up! Included in the book is a map showing where in the world each of the poems tell about. Also, there is a paragraph describing the science and/or social science behind each poem. I recommend this book for all fans of both the moon and poems.

This review is based on a publisher supplied electronic copy.

Until next time, bon voyage and happy reading!

Wonder

Wonder by R. J. Palacio



This is her first book? Seriously? This is an incredible book, and instantly became one of my all time favorites. It's the story of August Pullman, a fifth grade student just entering middle school after having been home schooled since his education began. Middle school is hard enough for most kids, but Auggie has a special reason to be nervous. He has a facial deformity that gets him stares, shocked looks, and even fear from others. As Auggie starts school, he encounters difficult students, friendly students, and many life lessons. This book had me crying, laughing, and feeling for the characters. The author writes from the point of view of several of them, not just Auggie, and this really helps to develop a fondness for each of them, even though they are all very different. I loved this book and highly recommend it for everyone to read.

This review is based on a publisher supplied electronic copy.

Until next time, bon voyage and happy reading!

Chomp

Chomp by Carl Hiassen

Carl Hiassen has a gift for writing some of the craziest, yet believable characters. Chomp doesn't disappoint. Wahoo Cray is missing a thumb from an alligator accident, his father is an animal wrangler with a headache that just won't go away, Derek Badger is a reality show star who's show is pretty much fake, and Tuna is Wahoo's girlfriend who's on the run from a bad home situation.  Add these characters, mix with a storm and a manhunt or two, and what sounds like chaos is a fascinating story. I loved the characters, and would love to see Hiaasen revisit them, but since his children's books are one offs, I don't expect he will. If you loved the rest of his books, you'll love this one. If you like colorful, larger than life characters, you'll love this book. I loved this book and think most of you will as well! Review based on a publisher supplied electronic copy.

Until next time, bon voyage and happy reading!

The Inquisitor's Apprentice

The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarity



A story set in an alternate history, full of Jewish culture and magic. I really didn't expect to like this book before I started to read it. There was nothing in the premise that I really connected with. And yet... Once I started, I couldn't stop. Sacha Kessler discovers he can see magic. Because of his gift, he is apprenticed to the New York Police's best Inquisitor, Maximillian Wolf. Wolf's job is to stop magical crime in a place and time where magic and ethnic groups and the industrial revolution have mixed to create a very vibrant and detailed New York at the start of the twentieth century. Sacha, Wolf, and fellow apprentice Lily Astral are tasked with protecting Thomas Edison, who invented a machine that will detect magic in people. Sacha is a great character, human and believable, and I think that's why I was drawn into this story. I do hope the author will make this into a series and give us more stories of Sacha and his friends. Besides writing, Chris Moriarity is a book reviewer for the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Review based on a publisher supplied electronic copy.

Until next time, bon voyage and happy reading!