Book: Boy Nobody
Author: Allen Zadoff
Pages: 352
Age Range: 12 and up

Boy Nobody is a tense thriller about a 16-year-old boy who has been trained as an assassin. The first person narrator (we don't learn his real name until late in the book, but let's call him Benjamin) was kidnapped by a shadowy organization, apparently part of the government, after a boy named Mike killed Benjamin's parents. Benjamin was trained to execute meticulously planned missions. For each mission, he is inserted into a school, where he befriends some key student. His target is someone close to that student, such as a parent. His job is to kill the target. 

Benjamin has a distinct voice. Not knowing much about the premise of the book, I thought at first that he was supposed to be some sort of alien. He calculates his every move and reaction. Like the scene below, in which a bunch of kids are hanging around after a baseball game.

""Your best kicks ass and takes names," Jack says, and he punches my shoulder again.

This time the big man doesn't move. But the other players are looking at us. 

Two punches on the arm. A way of asserting dominance.

Dominance is a threat. It must be dealt with.

I run a checklist in my mind:

I can let him punch me. Choose a lower status.

I can retaliate in equal measure, with equal force.

I can escalate. Assert my dominance.

Which should I choose?" (Chapter: I Pick Up a Baseball Bat)

He's like a human computer, the ultimate, unquestioning tool for killing people. But when the next student that Benjamin is supposed to befriend turns out to be the smart, extremely attractive daughter of the mayor of New York City, things become a bit more complicated than usual. Like this:

"Because my mind is thinking the wrong things. I should be thinking about finishing my assignment, but I'm thinking about the curve of Sam's neck, the corner of her lip, the way her breasts swell against the fabric of her dress." (Chapter: I Slip into the Bathroom down the Hall)

There is certainly violence in Boy Nobody, though I didn't find it gratuitous. (I mean, the book is about an assassin. The fact that he kills a few people should not be surprising.) There's a hint of a James Bond feel to the violence, and to the couple of sexual incidents (which are not described in detail). 

The teen assassin is an interesting premise for a young adult novel. Kind of takes teen alienation to a new and toxic level. Imagine having to go into school after school, reinventing yourself each time, figuring out the social dynamics on the fly? Now imagine doing that with no parents behind you (just two controllers who communicate via technology), and no one to confide in. Even if he didn't have to kill people, Benjamin would still be about as alienated as it gets. 

Boy Nobody is fast-paced, with lots of short paragraphs leaving white space in the text, and plenty of action to move the plot forward. Benjamin is a unique character, his damaged mind revealed through is first person narration (and his actions). Sam is also surprising and intriguing. And a nerdy computer geek comes into Benjamin's sphere, adding a bit of humor and humanity. 

While the main plot in Boy Nobody wraps up neatly, quite a few details are left unexplained. I don't know whether or not Zadoff intends to write other books about Benjamin, but he has certainly put the elements of a bigger picture in place. Personally, I hope that there are more books - I'm interested to see where this story goes. In the meantime, I recommend Boy Nobody for teen and adult readers who enjoy thrillers, and aren't put off by the idea of reading one told from the assassin's perspective. Boy Nobody is well worth a look!

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (@LBKids)
Publication Date: June 11, 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Book: Mousenet
Author: Prudence Breitrose
Illustrator: Stephanie Yue
Pages: 416
Age Range: 8 and up 

Mousenet is a middle grade novel written by Prudence Breitrose and lightly illustrated by Stephanie Yue. The premise has oodles of kid-appeal. Mice have learned to read, and to use human computers (though it takes a whole team of mice to accomplish anything using a full-size PC). When a quirky inventor in Cleveland invents a teeny, tiny laptop (dubbed the Thumbtop), mice spring into action. They enlist the inventor's niece, Megan, in their quest to put "a Thumbtop in every mousehole" so that they can stand beside humans as the next intelligent species.  

The mouse society and hierarchy in Mousenet is fully fleshed out, and quite entertaining. The mice have figured out a way to travel by Greyhound bus (though this remains rare). They use sign language to communicate. Because they have eyes everywhere, they are able to intervene with humans in surprising ways. They have their own, hidden internet (Mousenet). They are based in Silicon Valley, for a completely logical reason. This whole shadow society of secretly smart rodents calls to mind books like Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (which I now want to re-read) and Malcolm at Midnight. 

The early part of the book is told from a third person (er, mouse) mouse perspective, which I particularly enjoyed. In fact, I found it a bit jarring when, in the middle of chapter two, things shifted to Megan's perspective. After that, things shift back and forth between mouse and human viewpoints. Here's an example of the mouse point of view:

"The mice felt more hopeful about picking up clues to the megging's wildness later that afternoon, after the big female had spent some time doing things to food that they'd never seen happen in this kitchen--slicing, steaming, chopping, mixing. When the girl and her uncle came in to eat, the mice looked anxiously at their inventor to see how he'd react, because the dishes that the big female had put on the table didn't look at all like his usual dinner, which tended to be either delivered or thawed." (Chapter 2)

I understand that it wouldn't have been possible to tell the entire story from the perspective of the mice (or certainly it would have been quite difficult), but I personally enjoyed the mouse point of view more than Megan's. Megan is a perfectly nice character, with passions and quirks of her own, but the mouse viewpoint is more unique. 

Anyway, the plot in Mousenet moves along quickly. There isn't really a bad guy in the book, but Breitrose finds other sources of conflict (like the need to keep the existence of the mouse society hidden). I particularly liked the way the author developed the relationship between Megan and her step-cousin Joey, slowly and with friction along the way. 

My one complaint, story-wise, is that I felt that the author's anti-global warming message came on a bit too strong at times. Not that there's anything wrong with the message itself, but towards the end of the book it comes perilously close to dominating the story. By making environmentalism a central trait of Megan's character, the author keeps things in hand, but only just barely. But I have admittedly very finely honed radar when it comes to messages inserted into fiction. Most young readers delving into Mousenet today will probably be fine with this aspect of the book. 

Yue's black and white pencil illustrations are generally small in size, and are found about once per chapter. I found them helpful in visualizing Megan (who has unusual hair that's hard to describe), and of course in picturing the intrepid mice. There are also mouse silhouettes included atop the large-format first letter of each chapter. Emails integrated in with the text also add visual variety. Together, these visual elements of the book help make it non-intimidating to younger middle grade readers. 

Mousenet has a premise that kids will find hard to resist, coupled with strong characters, and a "working together to save the world" ethos. There is humor as well as high tech. Oh, and there's a sequel, Mousemobile, coming this fall. Kids who enjoy stories about secretly intelligent animals, and/or who find the idea of a mouse using a computer delightful, will definitely want to give this one a look. Suitable for ages 8 and up (or younger, especially if read aloud).  

Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children (@DisneyHyperion)
Publication Date: November 8, 2011 (picture book edition released February of 2013)
Source of Book: Review copy from the author

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Book: 1, 2, 3 ... By the Sea: A Counting Book
Author: Dianne Moritz
Illustrator: Hazel Mitchell
Pages: 36
Age Range: 3-6 

1, 2, 3 ... By the Sea is a nice little counting book written by Dianne Moritz and illustrated by Hazel Mitchell. The story is a bit more advanced than that of many counting books, making this more a book for preschoolers and kindergartners than for babies and toddlers. 

A boy, his mother, and his dog bike to the beach for the day. As the day progresses, they count things. Like this:

"Big waves tumble onto shore...
crashing,
splashing.
We chase FOUR."

The "FOUR" is shown spelled out, but partially overlaid with a big number 4. 

I also liked:

"Surfers surf and do surf tricks...
lunging,
plunging.
We watch SIX."

I like when books for young children use strong, descriptive verbs.

Mitchell's illustrations bring the oceanside setting to life. They remind me a bit of Marla Frazee's illustrations in All the World (and that is a huge compliment), with a similar color palette and level of detail (though without the poetry of Liz Garton Scanlon's text). Mitchell doesn't convey quite the same diversity in characters that Frazee does, but some of that is due to differences in subject matter.

The beach in 1, 2, 3 ... By the Sea evokes small-town, coastal Maine to me, with shingled homes nearby, and a crusty fisherman teasing the boy with a lobster. (Although you'd have to be on a pretty serious peninsula to get a  perfect sunset over the water in Maine.)  

If you have a child who loves beaches (and what child doesn't), and is learning to count, 1, 2, 3 ... By the Sea would be an excellent choice. If you can find it, anyway. It's available from the publisher, but otherwise not all that widely distributed. Which is too bad, because this slim paperback would slip quite easily into one's beach bag this summer.  

Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers
Publication Date: January 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Book: Itch: The Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter
Author: Simon Mayo (@SimonMayo)
Pages: 432
Age Range: 12 and up

Itch is a young adult thriller featuring an unusual hero. Itchingham Lofte (aka Itch) is a total science geek. His passion is collecting elements from the periodic table. When a fellow collector shares a very unusual rock with Itch, Itch soon finds himself, and his family, in grave danger.

Itch is in many ways a classic YA thriller. There are chases. There are over-the-top bad guys. There is a need for the hero to be brave. But there is also science. Instead of using conventional weapons, Itch turns to the elements when he's in a tight corner. He gets excited about watching a sample analyzed in a lab. He burns off his eyebrows in the first chapter, in a mishap with phosphorus. His sister Chloe and best friend/cousin Jack (short for Jacqueline) are more regular (and more mainstream popular) than Itch, but the hero's journey here belongs to the science geek. 

Itch, written by an English radio presenter, is set mostly in Cornwall. There's definitely a British feel to the book. Take this little exchange, from Chapter 1:

""Hello, Itchingham," said his mother. "Still no eyebrows, then."

There should be a law against parents using sarcasm, thought Itch as he poured his cereal." (Page 13)

I don't know about you, but I hear Itch's Mom with an English accent there. 

In addition to the details about the elements, there is quite a bit of information included in Itch about copper mining. And, just to keep things interesting, a bit about surfing. Who knew that surfing was a major pastime in Cornwall? Not me. But all of this is quite refreshing, together making Itch stand out from the pack. 

I did find the start of the book a bit slow, but the action picks up after a bit, and the end of the book is both fast-paced and high-stakes. Not realistic, perhaps, but definitely high-stakes. 

A sequel will be published in 2014. As Mayo left a couple of threads cunningly unresolved, I (and many others) will be waiting eagerly to find out what's next for Itch. With its green and black cover and blurb from Anthony Horowitz, Itch's target teen boy demographic is fairly clear. But I think that anyone who enjoys thrillers with teen protagonists could appreciate Itch. And I think that teachers and librarians will be happy to see a book that not only doesn't avoid but actually embraces science. Not science fiction, not high tech, but pure science. Rather refreshing that (despite the arsine gas accident and associated vomiting). Itch is well worth a look. 

Publisher: Splinter (@SterlingKids)
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Book: Splish, Splash, Splosh!
Author: David Melling (@DavidMelling1)
Pages: 22
Age Range: 2-5 

Splish, Splash, Splosh! by David Melling is a medium-sized board book with padded cover (part of a series from Tiger Tales Books). It's an appealing counting book featuring Splosh the duck (a character first introduced in a book published in the UK) and his nine duck friends. 

The text is bouncy and read-aloud-able, with rhymes for each pair of numbers. Like this (across two page spreads):

"ONE fluffy duck goes waddling
one day.

TWO fluffy ducks have found
a place to play! 

It's a fun book to read aloud. But it's Melling's illustrations that will delight toddlers. We see Splosh in an inner tube, hesitating to jump in to the pool. We see the other ducks, in swim caps, goggles, and even flippers bouncing around, bumping into one another. We see Splosh balanced in his inner tube, which hangs from a tree (after a diving board mishap), and a clearly irritated bird poking a hole in said inner tube.

The illustrations are just the right mix of silly and simple. There's a plain white background, and little texture to the illustrations. Melling's focus is all on the ducks, their swim paraphernalia, and the pool. And, on the last page, water splashing everywhere.

Splish, Splash, Splosh! would be a great bathtime book for two-year-olds, or just a fun counting book for slightly older preschoolers. The padded cover and brightly colored letters in the title will catch the eye of young children, who sense immediately that this is a book for them. The sturdy construction, not to mention the quiet humor, will appeal to parents and librarians. 

Publisher: Tiger Tales Books (@TigerTalesBooks)
Publication Date: March 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage.

Book News and Events

Very cool! RT @tashrow: S&S Children's to Relaunch John Christopher http://buff.ly/10vTE8c #kidlit

This is tempting. @WaldenPondPress is giving away a complete set of their books for Children's Book Week http://ow.ly/kZBs9 #cbw #kidlit

Hey look! Stephanie at Views from the Tesseract wrote about one of my all-time favorites: Escape to Witch Mountain http://ow.ly/kV6aS

Book Lists and Awards

RT @JrLibraryGuild: Recommended summer reading lists from our friends at the @HornBook http://ow.ly/l4g35

This week a ton of @SylvanDell ebooks are on sale for $0.99, @bethanyntt has a list: http://ow.ly/l4GQm #kidlit

50+ Great Adventure Chapter Books for Girls @JennyEvolution http://ow.ly/l1Vd9 #kidlit #cbw

Fun list of 5 recommended Sci-Fi/Fantasy series from @allieacts at Teens Wanna Know http://ow.ly/kUyc0 #yalit

Diversity (or lack thereof)

Frustrating but important to talk about: 2013 Middle Grade Black Boys: Seriously, People? — @fuseeight http://ow.ly/kV5DK

Thoughtful stuff by author @varianjohnson on race in #kidlit: Where are all the black boys? http://ow.ly/l6J5s

eBooks

RT @tashrow: Microsoft Is Considering Purchasing Nook From Barnes & Noble: Report http://buff.ly/10tCs49 #ebooks

Growing Bookworms

In celebration of Children's Book Week, @BooksBabiesBows is promoting@ReadAloud_org #literacy campaign http://ow.ly/l1voP #cbw

Tasha gives thumbs up to @zoobeanforkids new website dedicated to helping parents find #kidlit http://ow.ly/l4G3W

Top Ten Reasons it is Good if Your Teacher is a Reader by @katsok @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/kZC2m #literacy #kidlit

RT @ncfliteracy: Need effective/easy ways to promote reading through child’s early yrs? Get Cultivating Readers PDF http://ow.ly/hiB5q

Kidlitosphere Events

The Chocolate War Week Begins — hosted by @lizb @catagator @bkshelvesofdoom http://ow.ly/kZBIu #kidlit #yalit

Cool! @MsYingling will be taking on the organization of @MotherReader 's 48 Hour Book Challenge this year http://ow.ly/kZAf8 #kidlit

Zoe announces new monthly themed carnival: I'm looking for a book about... inventors and inventions | @playbythebook http://ow.ly/kZyqk

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.

Today I will be sending out the new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on children's and young adult books and raising readers. There are 1670 subscribers. Currently I am sending the newsletter out once every two weeks.

Newsletter Update: In this issue I have eight book reviews (three picture books, one early chapter books, two middle grade novels, and two young adult novels). I also have a one children's literacy roundup, and a post summarizing our experience with Screen Free Week. 

Not included in the newsletter this time around I have:

• A list of the Children's Choice Book Award Winners
• WordGirl's Word of the Month for May (Challenge)
• Links I shared on Twitter: May 10th
• Links I Shared on Twitter: May 2nd

Reading Update: In the past 2 weeks, I finished 2 novels for young adults, one novel for adults, and one adult nonfiction title. I read: 

• Cat Winters: In the Shadow of Blackbirds. Amulet. Young Adult. Completed May 6, 2013. My review.
• Rick Yancey: The Fifth Wave. Putnam Juvenile. Young Adult. Completed May 8, 2013. My review.
• Jacqueline Winspear: Leaving Everything Most Loved: A Maisie Dobbs Novel. Harper. Adult Mystery. Completed May 9, 2013, on MP3. I found the ending a bit drawn out on this one (almost like an end to the series, though I don't believe it is), but enjoyed it otherwise. 
• Nate Silver: The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail — but Some Don't. Penguin. Adult Nonfiction. Completed May 14, 2013. This is a fascinating book, but quite dense. It took me nearly a week to get through. 

I'm currently reading Mojo by Tim Tharp and listening to Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris (the final Sookie Stackhouse book). And, of course, I'm reading every day with Baby Bookworm. She, at age 3, has started asking to do "book reports". This actually involves playing with flashcards, and has nothing to do with books. I'm not sure where she picked up the term.

How about you? What have you and your kids been reading and enjoying? Thanks for reading the newsletter, and for growing bookworms. 

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.  You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

The latest Children's Literacy and Reading News roundup is now available at Quietly. The roundups are brought to you by Carol Rasco from RIF and Quietly, Terry Doherty from The Reading Tub and The Family Bookshelf, and me, here at Jen Robinson's Book Page. This particular roundup, which encompasses both the end of April and mid-May roundups, is chock full of news about literacy and reading-related events; literacy programs and research; and suggestions for growing bookworms.

Here are some highlights from Carol's roundup:

• "Children’s Book Week, it’s this week! A time to celebrate the books we hold dear at The Roundup! In addition to the bookmark above by Grace Lin (complete with activities, also see the Brian Selznick posterfor this year as well!) Last evening was the Children’s Choice Book Awards Gala. Not being able to make it in person this year I was thrilled to have a clear, steamed version into my living room…what a fun evening as always. I mean, did you know Meg Cabot raps?  Check out the video of the program yourself, learn the results of the more than one million votes cast by young people!" [Note: I am not at all surprised that Meg Cabot raps. Seems totally fitting.]
• "MAY 29:  Paper Clip Day
  READ: SIX MILLION PAPER CLIPS: The Making of a Children’s Holocaust Memorial by Peter W. Schroeder." [I had to share this one, because one of my college professors, Henry Petroski, wrote a book about the evolution of the paper clip, among other "useful things".] 
• "Prettier Charts Can Be Harder for Students to Read Sarah D. Sparks starts this particular blog entry with “Graphics are often intended to engage children in learning otherwise dry material, such as data on a chart. Yet new research from Ohio State University suggests increasing charts’ artistic appeal can interfere with students’ ability to comprehend the information they represent.”  Read more about this study of 122 middle class 6- to 8-year-old students."

And here are a few additional tidbits from me:

• There was much sadness around the Kidlitosphere when MotherReader announced that she wasn't able to organize her 48 Hour Book Challenge this year (though of course people understood). Happily, however, Ms. Yingling has stepped in to manage the event, with help from Abby the Librarian. The show will go on, the weekend of June 7-9. I will not, alas, be able to participate this year, but I'll be there in spirit. 
• This is hardly unexpected, but a new Canadian report based on a meta-analysis of other reports confirmed the benefits of reading. There are some good soundbytes, like this: "“The research shows that choice, control, and the implementation of reading as a social activity are key to building a nation of those who love to read versus a nation of those who can read,” said the report’s author, Sharon Murphy, Associate Professor of Education at York University. “It also confirms the many long-term societal benefits associated with being a nation of avid readers, including increased civic engagement, empathy for others, and improved cognitive and academic development.”"
• This was an article that I found personally satisfying. A study found that the presence of book-lined shelves in the home give children an advantage in school. Yes, I do have that one covered. 
• The Scholastic Parents Blog Raise A Reader shares 3 Reasons to Read with Your Elementary Schooler Every Night. Scholastic has been posting a ton of good stuff as Summer Reading season approaches. 
• And just for fun, The Jenny Evolution just shared a list of 50+ Great Adventure Chapter Books for Girls. Because "Girls need more to read than princess books. They need to journey with daring, rough-and-tumble girls who seek out adventure or rise to the challenges thrown at them." Can't argue with that! 

And that's all we have for you today. But do check out the full roundup at Carol's. Carol will be back towards the end of the month with another roundup. And we'll continue to share literacy news as we find it @JensBookPage, @ReadingTub, and @CHRasco. Thanks for reading, and for caring about children's literacy. 

This post © 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.

The 2013 Children's Choice Book Award Winners were announced yesterday by the Children's Book Council and Every Child A Reader at the launch of Children's Book Week. The winners are:

KINDERGARTEN TO SECOND GRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR

Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta, illustrated by Ed Young (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

THIRD GRADE TO FOURTH GRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR

Bad Kitty for President by Nick Bruel (Roaring Brook/Macmillan)

FIFTH GRADE TO SIXTH GRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR

Dork Diaries 4: Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess by Rachel Renée Russell (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster)

TEEN BOOK OF THE YEAR

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Dutton/Penguin). My review.

AUTHOR OF THE YEAR

Jeff Kinney for Diary of a Wimpy Kid 7: The Third Wheel (Amulet Books/Abrams). My review.

ILLUSTRATOR OF THE YEAR

Robin Preiss Glasser for Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

From the news release:

"The Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader announced the winners of the sixth annual Children’s Choice Book Awards (CCBAs) at a charity gala benefitting Every Child a Reader in New York City last night.  The announcement is an annual highlight of Children’s Book Week (May 13-19, 2013) as the CCBAs is the only national book awards program where the winning titles are selected by kids and teens. Young readers across the country voted in record numbers for their favorite books, author, and illustrator at bookstores, school libraries, and at bookweekonline.com, casting more than 1,000,000 votes. Full video footage of the awards ceremony is available for book lovers of all ages at bookweekonline.com/gala."

Book: The 5th Wave
Author: Rick Yancey (@RickYancey)
Pages: 480
Age Range: 13 and up 

I enjoyed Rick Yancey's Alfred Kropp books (see reviews here and here), but somehow never made it through the first Monstrumologist book. Still, when I started seeing rave reviews of The 5th Wave, I simply had to read it. I purchased it on Kindle on publication day, and read it within 36 hours. In case this isn't already obvious from the huge marketing push, The 5th Wave is going to be big. I predict a movie, or movies (there are two other books planned). 

But let's talk about the book. The Fifth Wave is set in a near-term post-apocalyptic world in which aliens have decimated most of the world's population. The devastation occurred in waves. In the first wave, an electromagnetic pulse took out electricity, engines, computers, etc. The second wave toppled the population centers on the coasts. The third wave sent a deadly plague throughout the world, killing 3.5 billion people.

But the fourth wave is the one that shakes 16-year-old survivor Cassie to the core. Because the fourth wave reveals that the aliens can look just like humans. Which means that she can't true anyone. Well, except for her five year old brother, Sammy. But Sammy has been taken away from her, and it's up to Cassie to find him.

To say that The 5th Wave is suspenseful is an understatement. The narration shifts (via sections of the book) between Cassie and three other characters. This allows Yancey to ratchet up the suspense via the traditional cliffhangers, as well as through conflicting information. The 5th Wave is a book that readers will puzzle over, asking questions like "How can that be true?" and "But why would they do that?" and so on. It is certainly a book that readers will think about whenever they put it down. If they can put it down. 

Although the primary action reaches a resolution at the end of The 5th Wave, I was left with questions. It seems like these may or may not be resolved in the remaining books, but I can't share them here without risk of spoilers. I also felt that the choice to include narration from 5-year-old Sammy's point of view wasn't completely successful, even though it wasn't written in the first person. I understood why this was necessary (to convey certain information to the reader), but it's not easy to make narration as seen by a five-year-old feel authentic in a YA novel. Still, this was only a brief section of the book.

Cassie's voice, in the other hand, totally worked. And having the chance to see Cassie via the viewpoint of other characters clarified her image for the reader. She is delightfully sarcastic. While she doesn't really see her own bravery, she is otherwise insightful (if not always polished in her language). Like this:

"That's the hard part, the part that, if I thought about it too much, would make me crawl into my sleeping bag, zip myself up, and die of slow starvation. If you can't trust anyone, then you can trust no one. Better to take the chance that Aunt Tilly is one of them than play the odds that you've stumbled across a fellow survivor. That's figgin' diabolical." (Page 9)

"The unofficial boss of the camp was a retired marine named Hutchfield. He was a human LEGO person: square hands, square head, square jaw. Wore the same muscle tee every day, stained with something that might have been blood, though his black books always sported a mirror finish." (Page 58)

"We told the stories of our lives before the Arrival. We cried openly over the ones we had lost. We wept secretly for our smartphones, our cars, our microwave ovens, and the Internet." (Page 61)

I've always thought that I would really miss the Internet if there was an apocalypse. This sounds shallow, perhaps. But there's something about constant access to any sort of information that you might need that is very comforting. Now that we're used to that, I think it would be very hard to let go of. I was pleased to see Yancey touch on that. He also (and this is something one rarely sees mentioned in post-apocalyptic stories) addresses Cassie's worry about her dwindling tampon supply. Extra points for this realism coming from a male author. 

I found Yancey's post-apocalyptic world to be a bit harsher in the details than some, though the world-building is also pushed to the background a bit relative to the action. You mostly just get occasional snippets like this:

"You know how you can tell when you're getting close to one? The smell. You can smell a town from miles away." (Page 39)

There are also some grim scenes involving the use of children to dispose of bodies. Although there isn't a lot of language, and only a fairly tame romance thread, I think that these scenes make The 5th Wave more of a high school book than a middle school book. There are, as you might expect in a post-apocalyptic book about an alien invasion, plenty of guns and other weapons. 

Fans of post-apocalyptic novels will not want to miss The 5th Wave. It's a book that will make readers think, both in a "what's going on?" sense and in a larger "what is it that makes us human?" sense. It could be an interesting book for discussion with teen readers, with some parallels to the Holocaust, and the open questions that I wondered about after finishing the book. My only complaint is that I wish I had waited to read this after the second and third books were published, so that I could have immersed myself even more fully in Yancey's post-Arrival world.

Highly recommended for teen and adult readers.  

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (@PenguinKids)
Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Source of Book: Purchased on Kindle

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Book: In the Shadow of Blackbirds
Author: Cat Winters
Pages: 400
Age Range: 13 and up 

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters is detailed, atmospheric historical fiction involving a ghost. In October of 1918, Mary Shelley Black is forced to travel from Oregon to her aunt's home in San Diego after her father is arrested for helping World War I draft dodgers. She faces the terror of the Spanish Flu epidemic, and is soon enmeshed in the local craze for spirit photography (in which photographers claim to be able to photograph ghosts). Mary Shelley is largely skeptical. However, when her soldier boyfriend Stephen is killed, she learns that ghosts do exist.

In the Shadow of Blackbirds has it all: a richly detailed historical setting; suspense; complex characters; and a puzzling mystery. It's not an upbeat book - the dark cover image picture above is representative of the overall mood of the story. But then, it wasn't an upbeat time. 

My favorite thing about this book was the way that Winters layered in the historical context. Everything feels organic to the story, and it's impossible to ever forget exactly what time period you are reading about. People are wearing face masks all the time, to guard against the flu. The eat onions and garlic (believing these to be protective), and cast sharp glances at anyone who utters a single cough. Anti-German sentiment runs so strong that people have burned any books or music they might have of even remotely German origin. And, in a time of epic loss of loved ones, between the flu and the war, Spiritualism runs rampant. Occasional black and white photographs included in the book add to the depth of the historical context.

Mary Shelley is a strong character. She is intellectual at a time when women aren't supposed to be interested in learning. She is loyal to what her aunt considers to be a fault. She worries about her fate, but avoids being bitter. She craves books, when her family's books have all been burned. She's even brave enough, in the middle of a flu epidemic, to volunteer at a home for wounded soldiers. 

Here's a snippet of the text, to give you a feel for Mary Shelley's voice:

"While my bathwater roared through the downstairs pipes, I wandered around my new room with the compass, checking to see whether the walls behind the gilded paper contained any metal strong enough to move the needle. And for a short while, the lure or scientific discovery blotted out the sea of masked faces on the train ride south, the purplish-black feet rattling the back of that cart, my father getting punched in the gut in front of my eyes, and the first boy I'd ever loved fighting for his life in a trench in France." (Page 25)

The plot regarding Stephen's ghost is decidedly creepy, and not for the faint of heart. But people who enjoy chilling ghost stories will not want to miss it.

The flu details (ambulances racing away with neighbors, caskets piling up outside funeral homes) actually reminded me of more modern apocalypse novels, in which broad swaths of the population succumb to plagues. And because In the Shadow of Blackbirds is based on actual events, it's in some ways more scary (making one wonder would happen, and how people would respond, if a drug-resistant virus came around today). 

In the Shadow of Blackbirds is dark in tone, and complex in plotting and structure. But for those readers willing to invest the time, it is both rewarding and illuminating. It's a book that made me very happy NOT to be living in 1918. It's also a book that I won't soon forget. Highly recommended for teens, and anyone who enjoys historical fiction or ghost stories. 

Publisher: Amulet Books (@AbramsKids)
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage.

Book Lists and Awards

Congratulations to the Edgar Winners and Nominees | @medinger educating alice http://ow.ly/kGyX9 #kidlit #yalit

2013 CLA/NCTE Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts via @MaryLeeHahn http://ow.ly/kNWbh #kidlit #bookawards

12 Books for Teens Adults May Enjoy — Suggestions Welcome! @StorySnoops #yalit http://ow.ly/kS6Wl

Timely! 10 Great Picture Books that Celebrate Mom - No Twiddle Twaddle @bethanyntt http://ow.ly/kLb6x #kidlit

RT @mitaliperkins: Blogged this => New @scbwi Award for Unpublished Children's or YA Authors over the age of 50! http://bit.ly/10ETnj2

Growing Bookworms

Some good tips at The Book Chook in Switch Kids On to Reading and Writing by Brian Rock http://ow.ly/kLar5 #literacy

Nice little post by Mem Fox on Why Reading Really is Magic @BookChook http://ow.ly/kSADU #literacy

Don't miss the Thanks Mom Edition of the #Literacy Lalapalooza from @ReadingTub http://ow.ly/kL86f

Programs and Research

Tiny Tips for Library Fun is hosting a webinar on the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten movement on 3/14 http://ow.ly/kS7KF #literacy

Who knew? Mild iodine deficiency in womb associated with lower scores on children's #literacy tests http://ow.ly/kRYv5 #litrdup

Writing/Publishing

I quite like this post on review copy disclaimers from @01FirstSecond http://ow.ly/kHZwR via @aquafortis

I totally respect this piece from @cassieclare, On writers getting paid to write http://ow.ly/kI0ut via @haleshannon

Just For Fun: Who Would You Put In The Children's Book Writers Hall Of Fame If There Were One? asks @susanbpfeffer http://ow.ly/kNWYt

Does the world need a content rating system for young adult books? @momhouston http://ow.ly/kSI33 via @PWKidsBookshelf

Self-Published Ebooks not a Solution for K-12 Schools -Christopher Harris @ShiftTheDigital http://ow.ly/kNKR7

Coverflip: @maureenjohnson Calls For End To Gendered Book Covers w/ An Amazing Challenge http://ow.ly/kPSbp @HuffingtonPost via @RIFWEB

Editorial: Everybody Wants to Be a Teenager - The Horn Book http://ow.ly/kGvmK @HornBook via @PWKidsBookshelf

This is good news: Hachette to Sell Frontlist Ebook Titles to Libraries http://ow.ly/kGuru via @sljournal

A valid rant: Elizabeth Vail: Lovesick and Tired: Unnecessary Romance in YAhttp://ow.ly/kGvze via @PWKidsBookshelf

Miscellaneous

An encouraging story: @freerangekids » School Canceled for Weather… GREAT Weather! http://ow.ly/kL9x1

RT @WarrenBuffett: Read my new essay on why women are key to America's prosperity: http://cnnmon.ie/18eXfik .

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.

Book: Night Light
Author: Nicholas Blechman (@NBlechman)
Pages: 48
Age Range: 3-5 

Nicholas Blechman's Night Light is a counting book that makes practical use of die-cut technology to increase interactivity. Night Light uses transportation-themed examples, which also makes it particularly preschool boy-friendly. Alternating page spreads contain only a number, a question, and some number of die-cut openings, against a black background. Like this:

"1 LIGHT,
SHINING BRIGHT?"

up to

"10 LIGHTS,
FUELING FOR
A FLIGHT?" 

The location of the die cut openings on the right-hand page and the color shown through each hole are hints as to what lies on the next page. In the first example, a fairly large, white circle resolves, when the page is turned, into the light on the front of a"TRAIN". The die cut opening is cleverly repurposed on the now left-hand side of the page into a tunnel opening from which the train has just emerged.

I think that preschoolers will have fun guessing what lies on the next page, as they look at the question pages (though most will be pretty tricky to guess the first time around). They'll also enjoy figuring out what Blechman has mapped to the die cut holes on the solution pages. As an adult reader, I was quite impressed with the artist's use of space and proportions to line these openings up correctly in two different pictures, one a mirror image of the other. For example, the holes that show three lights on a taxi cab end up corresponding to the mouths of three people hailing the taxi. 

I also liked the professional graphic arts feel of Blechman's digitally created illustrations. He uses a slightly muted color palette, and demonstrates a pleasing use of symmetry in most of the illustrations.  

Night Light offers kids several opportunities to count up to each number. First they can count the die cut holes on the black pages. Then they can count the lights on the transportation item revealed when each page is turned. And then they can look to their left and count the back sides of the die-cut holes. It's educational without feeling educational.

The last page goes back to number 1, with a cozy night-light, and shows all of the items from the other pages as toys in a boy's room (while he reads Night Light in bed). This is only misleading in that I don't see Night Light as a quiet bedtime book. I see it as a book that preschoolers will read more actively, first with parents, and later alone, as they practice identifying the vehicles, and counting up lights. It would make a great addition to any preschool classroom library, or the perfect birthday gift for a three or four year old. Recommended.  

Publisher: Orchard Books (@Scholastic) 
Publication Date: April 30, 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Book: Starring Jules (As Herself)
Author: Beth Ain
Illustrator: Anne Keenan Higgins
Pages: 160
Age Range: 7-10 

Starring Jules (As Herself) is the first book in a new early chapter book series by Beth Ain. I've been hearing good things about this series, and after reading the first book, I think that Jules is going to join the ranks of Clementine and Ivy and Bean as early chapter book staples.   

As you can see on the cover image, seven-year-old Jules is full of joy. As the book begins, she sings a jingle about fizzy ice cream to her family in a cafe, catching the attention of a casting director for a mouthwash commercial. After that, realistic and over-the-top worries about her audition mix with friendship dynamics, as we spend a week in the life of Jules. 

Jules makes witty lists. She rails against the former best friend who has become too interested in sparkly, girly things. She loves turquoise. She defends her four-year-old brother (and does n-o-t call him by vegetable names, like some protagonists we know). She has a mother who is an artist, and a father who is a chef. While I don't find her quite as authentic as Clementine, she's more dramatic, and I think that kids who pride themselves in not being mainstream will particularly enjoy her. 

Here are a couple of examples of Jules' voice:

"To me, Teddy is kind of like a bouncing Super Ball. The kind that bounces so high and crazy you have to cover your head once you've let it go just so it doesn't hit you when you aren't looking. Right now, the bouncing ball is coming right for Charlotte, and Teddy bumps right into her as he comes to a stop." (Take Two)

"Both my parents talk about palates a lot, but when my dad says it, he means taste buds, and when my mom says it, she means colors. Sometimes, wonder if they know they are not talking about the same thing." (Take Three)

Fun, yes? 

The advanced  copy that I read of Starring Jules (As Herself) didn't have most of the illustrations yet in place. But if the picture on page 3 of Jules and her little brother, Big Henry, blowing bubbles in their milk is any indication, the illustrations will be as lively and vivacious as the cover image (though the interior art is not in color). Jules' quirky sense of style comes across (striped leggings, sneakers, a short skirt, and a polka-dotted shirt), as does her apparent need for constant movement. I look forward to seeing the final version, with all of the pictures. 

From talking with parents of voracious new readers, I have the impression that there is a boundless need for early chapter books with strong characters and relatable adventures. Starring Jules (As Herself) will be a welcome addition to the genre, with a likable, energetic heroine. Kids who enjoy school plays, and are enraptured by the idea of being on television, will be particularly pleased with Jules. The second book in the series, Starring Jules (in Drama-Rama) will be out in late August, just in time for the new school year.  

Publisher: Scholastic (@Scholastic) 
Publication Date: March 1, 2013
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

I like WordGirl's Word of the Month for May: Challenge, because I think it's good for kids (boys and girls) to tackle things that they find challenging. Challenging is actually one of my three-year-old's first big words. She was doing well with puzzles, so I bought her a couple that I told her were "more challenging". And she totally got the concept (though she tends to use "it's too challenging" as an excuse to ask for help now).

But Scholastic and PBS Kids have chosen Challenge for the word of the month because WordGirl is the official ambassador for Scholastic's Summer Challenge encouraging reading. Kids can log their reading minutes and win prizes. Scholastic posts stats on minutes spent reading by school, as well as collectively across all participants. 

But however you look at it, Challenge is the word of the month for May. 

Book: Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More!: Poems for Two Voices
Author: Carole Gerber
Illustrator: Eugene Yelchin
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-8 

Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More!: Poems for Two Voices is a picture book designed to be read aloud by two people, alternating portions of each poem. Written by Carole Gerber and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin (Breaking Stalin's Nose), Seeds, Bees seems tailor-made for classroom use. It gives kids the chance to perform poetry out loud, in pairs, while also containing quite a bit of informational content about plants and insects. 

Each poem is told from the perspective of two plants or creatures, using different colored text for each part. Lines meant to be read by both participants use both colors, switching letter by letter, including the titles. Indentation is also used to make it clear which lines belong to which reader. 

There is often a bit of humor incorporated into the poems. For instance, a new green shoot asks a bunny to stop blocking its sunlight, and the bunny says "Relax. That doesn't matter. / You'll be gone in just one bite." Two plants lament the feel of snails leaving "icky, sticky trails." I do think that this humor will work well for kids reading the poems aloud in class. 

The nature of the informational content necessitates the occasional use of relatively difficult vocabulary words, though Gerber clearly tries to keep this to a minimum. But we still get stanzas like this:

"We'll gather all their nectar
and also pollinate,
with little tongues and little feet.
            Want me to demonstrate?" 

(the last line is recited by the second person).  

Yelchin's graphite and gouache illustrations are a riot of colors and textures. He often repeats a key texture from the plant or creature of interest as part of the background. So, for example, the texture of the sky reflects back the pattern of the bunny's fur. His insects and flowers tend to be large-scale on each page, really bringing the subject matter to life. 

In truth, information poetry isn't really my personal cup of tea. But I think that Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More! could be very useful in first through third grade classrooms, due to its combination of perform-ability, bright, realistic illustrations, and informational content. Many kids are fascinated by plants and bugs, making Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More! a great companion book for units on nature, gardening, spring, etc. This would be a good choice to gift to your child's classroom, or for library purchase. 

Publisher: Henry Holt (@MacKidsBooks)
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the author

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

I posted last Wednesday about our early progress with Screen Free Week (which was April 29th through May 5th). Baby Bookworm ended up having a quite successful Screen Free Six Days.This doesn't quite have the same ring to it as Screen Free Week, but it was the best we could do. She woke up with a cold yesterday and was miserable and in need of the comfort of Mary Poppins (plus I was in need of the comfort of a shower and time to fold the laundry). But I did still distract her from watching television by taking her on a Barnes and Noble run yesterday. So all was not lost.   

In the end she had a week without any iPad or iPhone use, not even looking at pictures. And she had six days with no television (at least at home - not sure if she saw any when she was at her friend's house). As I mentioned last week, this resulted in:

• More time for creative play (e.g. pretending to be on airplane, or camping).
• More books read.
• More direct interaction with my husband and myself. 

These are all good things. And the whining over not having the iPad or being able to watch TV definitely declined over the week (though the requests did not cease completely). I found that I was able to use my iPhone in front of her - she seemed to accept that as a different thing, and didn't ask for it. Of course this was a bit hypocritical on my part, but I was doing my best.

I'm sure that we'll try Screen Free Week again next year. And I'm considering only allowing television on weekends going forward (we do all love to watch movies together). How about all of you? Did anyone else attempt Screen Free Week? What were your outcomes? 

This post © 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.

Book: Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked
Author: Jarrett J. Krosoczka (@StudioJJK)
Pages: 280
Age Range: 8 and up 

I'm a huge fan of Jarrett J. Krosoczka's Lunch Lady series of graphic novels for early middle grade readers. So I was interested to see what he would do with a middle grade novel. The Frog Who Croaked is the first book in the new Platypus Police Squad series. As I expected from Krosoczka, it is quite entertaining.

The Frog Who Croaked is a noir-ish detective story, liberally illustrated by the author, and aimed at readers 8 and up. As you might gather from the title, the primary protagonist, Rick Zengo, is a platypus. Even more unusual in middle grade protagonists, Zengo is an adult, albeit one who still lives at home with his parents and sometimes acts like a 10 year old.

As The Frog Who Croaked begins, Zengo is about to head off for his first day of work as a detective with the Platypus Police Squad. He is partnered with a gruff veteran detective named Corey O'Malley. The two experience friction, due to their vastly different approaches to crime-solving. But, as they investigate the case of a missing frog (a respected teacher who may have been involved with the illegal fish market), they come to value on another's strengths. 

Krosoczka's writing style is a kid-friendly version of hardboiled detective fiction. The violence and cynicism are toned down to be kid-appropriate, and there isn't any profanity. Humorous substitutions occur throughout the book, like characters drinking root-beer floats instead of beer. But in tone, The Frog Who Croaked feels like noir fiction. Like this:

"This is the city. Kalamazoo City.Population: 75,000. By day, it's a bright, vibrant metropolis, the kind of city where dreams come true... But it is a different city once the sun goes down. The criminal element, asleep by day, haunts certain dark corners at night. Especially the run down old docks on the south side of town, perhaps the darkest corner of all." (Page 1)

The illustrations weren't final in the version of the book that I read, so I'll just say that the frequent black and white illustrations help make The Frog Who Croaked accessible to younger readers. They also fill in certain details that are not always directly spelled out in the text (as one might expect from someone with a graphic novel background).

For example, Krosoczka often neglects to spell out exactly what animal each character is (there's a wide range, not just platypuses). He implies it through descriptive text sometimes (like a boy who "scuttles" away), but often leaves the reader to determine this via the pictures. I wonder if this technique is a subtle lesson in taking diversity as it comes. We don't always need to spell out characters' "ethnicity". Either way, I like it

I also like that while there are human aspects to the characters' behavior (it would be hard to write the book otherwise), Krosoczka also includes animal-specific details. Like this:

"Zengo brushed his mouth plates, polished his bill, and then opened the vanity mirror, selecting one of the neatly placed bottles of fur product. He squeezed a dab out onto his webbed flipper and with a quick flip of the tufts of his coiffure, he was ready for his day." (Chapter 1)

There's a funny moment in which one of the Zengo laments working "at a snail's pace", and gets a disgusted look from a passing family of snails. 

Zengo himself is a well-developed character, enthusiastic about his job, struggling to feel independent while still living at home, and just beginning to be aware of the advantages that his well-off upbringing has conveyed. He talks when he shouldn't, and makes mistakes that a more politically seasoned detective would be able to avoid. And he is deeply suspicious of the city's magnanimous benefactor, Frank Pandini, Jr. Zengo's relationship with his partner evolves plausibly, and not too quickly.

The Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked is a great introduction to the detective novel genre for middle grade readers (or book-resistant middle schoolers). It has enough pictures to lend plenty of scaffolding for younger readers, but also doesn't shrink from using relatively advanced vocabulary words ("facade", "animosity"). It has distinctive characters and settings, and a nice mix of deadpan humor and ridiculous details (like the cops using boomerangs instead of guns). In short, The Frog Who Croaked is a lot of fun. Recommended for readers 8 and up. 

Publisher: Walden Pond Press (@WaldenPondPress)
Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Book: The Originals
Author: Cat Patrick (@seecatwrite)
Pages: 304
Age Range: 12 and up 

The Originals is a young adult novel about three identical-looking girls forced to live a single life. One of them goes to school in the morning, another in the afternoon, and the third goes out in the evenings. Whenever one of them is out of the house, the other two have to remain hidden at home. No one can suspect that Elizabeth Best is actually the combined front for Lizzie, Betsey, and Ella. Their mother has her reasons for making them live like this, they believe. But as the girls approach their 17th birthday, two of them fall for different boys at school, and their carefully constructed existence begins to crumble. 

I found this an intriguing, if not entirely plausible, premise. Like Lizzie's boyfriend, Sean, I didn't fully understand why the girls would put up with living such an odd, segmented life. But Patrick sprinkled in enough suspense regarding the mother's secrets, another look-alike in a different city, and possible enemies tracking the girls down, to keep me up late reading. 

In truth, much of The Originals reads more like a young adult romance than the speculative fiction / suspense suggested by the premise. This is not a bad thing. I liked Lizzie and Sean's relationship - particularly a chapter in which they just spend the afternoon at his house. She meets his mother. They take pictures of each other. He loans her socks. It's all very ordinary and sweet. But it's definitely a contrast to the girls' normally bizarre and stressful situation. 

Lizzie is a strong character. Her situation magnifies typical teen self-reflection. She isn't always sure who she is, except in relation to her sisters. She bubbles over with anger sometimes, but has a delightfully snarky humor, too. Like this:

"And I hate chicken," I add, which is among the most untrue statements ever uttered. But I'm still mad at her, and I'm boycotting chicken to prove it. Or at least I'm telling her I am; you never know what'll happen when dinnertime rolls around." (Chapter Eight)

Patrick does a good job of giving the three girls distinct personalities, despite their outward similarities. Their interactions with one another come across as surprisingly realistic (given, you know, the not so everyday setup). Lizzie's relationship with Sean is a little ... rose-colored, but nice to see. 

The Originals is an enjoyable romp, with an unusual premise, and an interesting perspective on a teen's developing sense of self. It's a bit of a romance / speculative fiction hybrid, falling on the tamer end of the spectrum relative to books like Altered, Yesterday, or Beta. I think it could be a bridge book for younger teens, preparing them for some of these other books. There's no sex or violence in the Originals (only some kissing, a not-particularly-scary kidnapping, and some sneaking around behind the mother's back). Which, now that I think about it, is kind of refreshing. The Originals is well worth a look. 

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (@LBKids)
Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

I don't believe that I've ever mentioned this before, but my grandmother worked as a school lunch lady when my father and my uncles were young. She was always quite proud of that fact. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why I enjoy Jarrett Krosoczka's Lunch Lady series so much (see my reviews here, here, here, here, and here). Certainly this is one of the reasons why I am pleased by the idea of dedicating a day to honor school lunch ladies. Yes, that's right. Jarrett Krosoczka, Random House, and the School Nutrition Association are celebrating School Lunch Superhero Day this Friday, May 3rd. 

Here are some quick tidbits about the event (from Random House):

• INPSIRATION: Jarrett’s very own School Lunch Superhero, Jean Cariglia, inspired his Lunch Lady series. When Jarrett visited his school after the first book was published, he was astounded to see how much this recognition meant to Jean. This, and other acts of kindness he has seen while touring for the series, planted the seed for School Lunch Superhero Day.
• WAYS TO CELEBRATE: The SchoolLunchSuperheroDay.com website has all kinds of activities to help schools celebrate – games, activities, valentines, you name it!
• TEDx: Besides creating a really innovative take on superheroes, Jarrett is also a really amazing individual. Last Fall, he was invited to present a TEDx talk. His talk has over 500,000 combined views and is really inspirational. See the video here.
• THAT'S A LOT OF FOOD: School nutrition professionals feed 31 million students every day.
• NEW LUNCH LADY: LUNCH LADY AND THE VIDEO GAME VILLAIN is on sale now. This is an action-packed graphic novel series with fun food-related gadgets. The series is great for beginning readers.

Check out the SchoolLunchSuperheroDay website, as well as Jarrett's recent post on the subject at The Nerdy Book Club. And, this Friday, consider toasting my grandma with some cafeteria-style tater tots (if they still serve those). 

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Screen Free Week is being observed this week, April 29th - May 5th. Random House has been urging families to Unplug and Read. As you might infer by the fact that I'm blogging right now, I'm not going screen free myself. However, I am attempting to keep my 3 year old daughter, Baby Bookworm, free of screens. Because she never uses screens during the day anyway, this mainly consists of three things:

1. Not letting her use the iPad in the morning after breakfast (something that I often allow, so that I can read the paper, shower, etc.).
2. Not letting her watch television in the evening (we sometimes watch a movie or television episode after dinner - she's currently in the middle of Season 1 of Full House). 
3. Not using my iPhone when she is around (because this makes her want to play with it). 

So how are we doing on these three things?

1. Monday morning she cried for a few minutes over not using the iPad. But then we did some gymnastics, pretended we were taking an airplane to Los Angeles, and read two books. Tuesday morning she didn't even ask for the iPad, wanting instead to play a game in which I was the baby, and she was the daddy. I convinced her that "the baby" wanted to read books, and she went and dug out some of her early baby books for us to read together. Wednesday morning, again, no request for the iPad. We did puzzles, read several books, and packed up for a pretend trip to the beach. 
2. Monday night she protested quite loudly about wanting to watch "a movie" (she calls everything on the TV a movie). But only for a couple of minutes. Then we went into the playroom and played Little People, and she went on a pretend camping trip with my husband. Tuesday night she asked a couple of times for television, but was even more easily deflected by puzzles and pretend camping. We also read a lot more books before bed than usual, because we got started earlier (see stack to the right).  
3. Not looking at my iPhone screen when she's around has been the hardest one for me. Baseball scores! Facebook! Checking my email! But I don't think that she has even noticed. This one is going to be a lot harder on the weekend, when I'm with her all day. 

We're only a couple of days in, but already, I'm noticing a few things.

• It doesn't take very much time to make or break habits when you're dealing with a three year old. I was surprised that on the second day she didn't even ask for the iPad. It's possible that we'll get the to end of the week, and she'll completely stop asking for the iPad at all. 
• When she's not watching TV or using the iPad, she is engaging in more creative play. We did at one point pretend to be watching television, I must admit, but she was perfectly happy to pretend, and didn't ask for the real thing. While I do think that she learns some things on the iPad (we have apps that are helping her with letter recognition, for example), I have to think that active pretend play is more beneficial at this age. We are also reading more books, which is certainly a good thing. 
• I think that the reason she is ok with giving up the screens (which she loves) is that she gets more of mommy and daddy's time and attention. If I was trying to send her off to play by herself in the mornings, I don't think that this whole thing would be very successful.

There's no question that this is a sacrifice in terms of my time. I feel like I'm starting off every day behind, because I get so little time to myself in the mornings. I'm not sure whether I'll be able to continue after this week is over. But there's also no question in my mind that this Screen Free Week is having good outcomes for my daughter.

It's not too late to jump in to Screen Free Week, if any of this sounds interesting to you. My personal view is that it's a good excuse to look at how much time your kids are spending on screens, and see what happens if you scale that back a little bit. I'll report back again after the end of the week. 

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Today I will be sending out the new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on children's and young adult books and raising readers. There are 1670 subscribers. Currently I am sending the newsletter out once every two weeks.

Newsletter Update: In this issue I have six book reviews (four picture books, one middle grade graphic novel, and one young adult novel). I also have a post listing eight picture books that Baby Bookworm has been enjoying, and a post about our success so far with Screen Free Week. 

Not included in the newsletter this time around I have:

• A post about School Lunch Superhero Day (this Friday)
• Links I shared on Twitter: April 26
• Links I shared on Twitter: April 19

Reading Update: In the past 2 weeks, I finished 5 novels for middle grade readers, 3 novels for young adults, and one adult nonfiction title. Most of this reading was done over a weekend during which my husband took my daughter on a trip, so that I could have some reading and resting time. I read: 

• Joe Schreiber (ill. Matt Smith): Lenny Cyrus, School Virus. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. Middle Grade/Middle School. Completed April 18, 2013. Review to come. 
• Beth Ain: Starring Jules (As Herself). Scholastic. Early Chapter Book. Completed April 21, 2013. Review to come. 
• Kate Saunders: The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop. Delacorte Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade. Completed April 21, 2013. Review to come.
• Rob Buyea: Because of Mr. Terupt. Delacorte Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade. Completed April 21, 2013. Review to come. 
• Rob Buyea: Mr. Terupt Falls Again. Delacorte Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade. Completed April 24, 2013. Review to come. 
• Kirsten Miller: Kiki Strike: The Darkness Dwellers. Bloomsbury. Young Adult. Completed April 20, 2013, on Kindle. I liked this one very much. When my daughter is old enough, I hope very much that she reads the Kiki Strike books, because they are full of wonderful tidbits for celebrating strong girls. 
• Mary Pearson: Fox Forever (The Jenna Fox Chronicles). Henry Holt and Co. Young Adult. Completed April 20, 2013. I found this to be a satisfying conclusion to the Jenna Fox saga, and a recommended read for anyone who enjoys speculative dystopian futures. 
• Dave Cousins: 15 Days Without a Head. Flux. Young Adult. Completed April 30, 2013. Review to come. 
• Lenore Skenazy: Free Range Kids, How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts with Worry). Adult Nonfiction. Completed April 19, 2013. I enjoyed this book, too. I found it a good reminder to relax a bit as a parent. I do want my daughter to grow up to be self-reliant, after all. I've been enjoying the Free Range Kids blog, too. 

I'm currently reading In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters and listening to Leaving Everything Most Loved: A Maisie Dobbs novel by Jacqueline Winspear. And, of course, I'm reading every day with Baby Bookworm.

How about you? What have you and your kids been reading and enjoying? Thanks for reading the newsletter, and for growing bookworms. 

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.  You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage (one day early, because I am taking some time off Thursday and Friday to visit with my sister).

Book Lists, Awards and Blog Carnivals

Cool! RT @playbythebook: May 13 is next themed kidlit carnival - all about inventors/inventions @se7en_hoods @JensBookPage

Don't miss the April Carnival of Children's Literature at City Muse, Country Muse http://ow.ly/kxPYo #kidlit #literacy

Who knew there were so many penguin books! Our Favorite (Fiction) Penguin Picture Books @thepbreview http://ow.ly/kCr2S

2013 Jane Addams Children's Book Awards (addressing peace) announced. @MitaliPerkins has the scoop http://ow.ly/kA7nF #kidlit

I like this idea for a post: Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Reread for the First Time by @FancyOatmeal @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/kA6W6

Bestselling Children’s Books of 2012 |@tashrow Waking Brain Cells via @PublishersWkly http://ow.ly/kA3ng

YALSA announces Teens’ Top Ten Finalists | @tashrow Waking Brain Cells http://ow.ly/kA2LT #yalit

Books, Libraries, and Reading

"You don't have to be realistic to be true." From 30 things to tell a book snob | Booktrust http://ow.ly/ksQF5 via @tashrow

RT @tashrow 5 Ways to Become a Better Reader – Lifehack http://buff.ly/Zl95V5  #reading

RT @rifweb: Good weather + books=outdoor reading. Why not an outdoor library? http://ow.ly/kslJN

The Unreliable Narrator in the Picture Book Format, thoughts and examples — @fuseeight #kidlit http://ow.ly/ksRRJ

Delightful post by @philnel: A Manifesto for Children’s Literature; or, Reading Harold as a Teenager http://ow.ly/kA6ky

Events

Don't miss it! Friday is School Lunch Lady Superhero Day | @NerdyBookClub @StudioJJK http://ow.ly/kA7Ap

Let's Celebrate Star Wars Day, says @BookChook. It's May 4th http://ow.ly/kA5SL

Educators Celebrate Screen-Free Week | @sljournal http://ow.ly/kA98q

Growing Bookworms

RT @rifweb: How refreshing. RIF’s own @CHRasco takes Congress to school with a lesson from Dr. Seuss. http://ow.ly/kt18w

Study finds prescence of a Home Library Key to Academic Success http://ow.ly/kA8f0 via @BookChook #litrdup #literacy

Interesting #Literacy Guest Spotlight, interview w/ Sandra Halajian @book_talks at Growing Book by Book http://ow.ly/kA12n

Fascinating Moms use more advanced vocabulary RT @zoobeanforkids: Read more wordless picture books with your kids :) http://ow.ly/kxbis

Kidlitosphere

Roundup of the 30 Poets/30 Days links at GottaBook from @gregpincus http://ow.ly/kCrJL #poetry

Neat to see friends having success in publishing: From Blogging to Books: A Tour of Child/YA Lit Bloggers @fuseeight http://ow.ly/kA1BQ

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.

Book: Windblown
Author: Edouard Manceau
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-7 

Windblown by Edouard Manceua is a concept book, part book about shapes, part book about animals, and part cumulative text. Several tiny scraps of paper are blown, one by one, onto the early pages of the book (as shown on the cover). Then a chicken declares ownership of the scraps, which are magically assembled to form a chicken's head.

"They're mine!" said the chicken.
"I saw them lying around!"

A fish takes exception to this, having cut the paper into pieces before the chicken saw them lying around. The pieces are used to form a fish in the picture. Then a bird claims to have made the paper, and so on. Each animal goes further back into the process of creating paper, even as the illustrations show the same shapes used to render the different animals.

Some of the illustrations work better than others, but it's a nice trick that the same seven shapes can be used to draw several different creatures. At the end of the book, the author suggests that the reader use the shapes to do something else. 

Both text and pictures are quite minimalist in Windblown, making it rather remarkable that the author is able to do so much with so little. We have counting, shapes, animals, and (in a very simplified fashion) the process by which paper is made. All in a book in which all of the illustrations are made with only minor additions to the seven basic shapes (most of which are circles). 

Windblown is a book that could work for very young children, who just like to look at the shapes. But I think that the primary audience is probably kids who are learning how to draw. You could use it as a predecessor to books that more directly given drawing instruction. I can also imagine tracing the shapes and cutting out copies, so that my child could move them around herself. (Librarians beware - I can also imagine kids let loose with scissors just cutting the shapes right out of the book.) 

For those looking for something a bit different, with a modern art sort of flavor in picture book form, Windblown is well worth a look. Recommended for home and for preschool use. 

Publisher: Owlkids Books (@OwlKids)
Publication Date: April 9, 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Book: Lenny Cyrus, School Virus
Author: Joe Schreiber
Illustrator: Matt Smith
Pages: 288
Age Range: 9 and up 

Lenny Cyrus, School Virus is a middle grade novel about a geeky middle school boy who figures out how to shrink himself down to the size of a virus. Instead of calling the news cameras, Lenny uses this scientific breakthrough to insert his miniaturized self into the body of Zooey, a girl he's had a crush on for five years.

The story is told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of Lenny, Zooey, and Lenny's best friend, Harlan. These alternating viewpoints are necessary, given that, you know, Lenny can't see what's going on outside of Zooey's body for much of the story. The voices of the three kids aren't incredibly diverse, but their situations are so different that I only once had trouble remembering who was narrating a given chapter (this was late in the book, where the chapters become quite brief as the action ramps up). 

Despite the characters being in middle school, Lenny Cyrus, School Virus feels like a middle grade novel. The plot is a fun ride, though it does require a certain suspension of belief. Lenny and Harlan are able to communicate by cell phone, for example, while Lenny is miniaturized to the size of a virus. The other viruses and cells and what-have-you inside of Zooey have faces and personalities and active social lives.

[Personally, the detail that I found most implausible was that Lenny's parents could be high school sweethearts, and both have IQs above 187. How could there be two super-geniuses like that in one high school? And if there were, how could they be normal enough to function and marry? But that is a quibble.]

There are crushes, and one ludicrous attempt at a kiss, but there's no serious dating or anything like that. There is bullying, but even that is rendered more in humorous than serious vein. (Remember that scene in A Christmas Story where Ralphie beats up the bully? Yeah. Like that.)

Schreiber's writing is witty, albeit with a scientific bent. I flagged quite a number of passages. Like:

""Are you crying?"

"What? No. No. I'm just ... sweating."

"From your eyes?"

I gazed at her, unable to speak. I was only eight years old, but I knew true beauty when I saw it. She had smooth hair that swung down past her shoulders and the kind of scratchy voice that made it sound like she'd just stopped laughing or was about to start again. Behind her glasses, her eyes were that mure methylene blue that you only see in perfectly balanced chemical solutions." (Page 4, Lenny)

And this:

"The moment they saw us--saw me--a predatory glint flashed through Mick's expression. Anybody who doubts that middle school is like a Discovery Channel documentary on natural selection just hasn't been paying attention." (Page 10, Lenny)

And finally (though I could go on):

"He can't help it. You try growing up with two Nobel Prize-winning scientists sitting across the breakfast table from you. Lenny doesn't like to talk about it, but he's at least as smart as his mom and dad, probably smarter. And let's face it: You can't be that smart without being extremely dumb in other ways. It's like the universe strapped this jet-pack on his back, then Gorilla-glued his sneakers to the floor. He's constantly reaching out too far and falling flat on his face." (Page 13, Harlan)

I especially loved that last bit, about the jet-pack and the Gorilla glue. But lots of other passages made me smile, too. 

Lenny Cyrus, School Virus includes occasional black and white illustrations by Matt Smith. Small drawings of each narrator mark the start of each chapter, and are helpful in conveying the different personalities of the three kids. Other illustrations bring to life Lenny's inner-world mission. The funniest, I thought, was of a curvaceous molecule located inside Zooey's ovary - but I really can't describe it. An astrovirus who befriends Lenny is pretty cute, too. 

So what we have here is, yes, another quasi-science-themed book featuring a smart but geeky male hero (see also Itch by Simon Mayo). But Lenny Cyrus, School Virus is a lot of fun. The shifting perspectives also, I think, help to make the book both boy and girl-friendly. Which is quite an accomplishment for a book in which a pivotal scene takes place inside of an ovary. 

Lenny Cyrus, School Virus is not going to be for everyone. But if you know any middle grade or middle school-age kids who like science and/or adventure, and have a good sense of humor, I think they'll enjoy this book. Definitely worth a look for library purchase, and especially recommended for a young friend of mine who lives in Newton, MA. 

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (@hmhkids)
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.