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If you were eleven years old, would you pass up a trip to India with your parents to visit your relatives and instead choose to stay with an uncle on a small island off the coast of Washington State? The girl in this book, Poppy Ray, does exactly that. Her uncle is a veterinarian and Poppy thinks that she wants to be a vet when she grows up. She even has her own veterinarian medical kit which she takes with her. Unfortunately, when she actually gets there, she finds out that it is a lot tougher than she thought it would be. Her uncle is great and she loves the animals but she finds out that the sight of blood makes her sick and she has some trouble with the owners of the pets.
There are heartwarming moments and heartbreaking moments and some wonderful characters in this book. How do you think Poppy will do with the trials and tribulations of a busy veterinarian’s office? I guess you will have to read it for yourself to find out!
Posted by: Fran W.
Stuey Lewis is a quite a character! He’s a smart 2nd grader who has not only problems to deal with, but also funny schemes up his sleeve. The four chapters in this book are each like a short story about something in his life. While each chapter can easily stand alone, they come together to make a fun start to this great new series.
In the first chapter we learn that Stuey has a secret at the beginning of 2nd grade – he’s worried that everyone will find out he isn’t a good reader. Even his best friend, who is an excellent reader, doesn’t know Stuey’s secret. It doesn’t take long for his teacher to realize that something is bothering him, and when he finally confesses his worry to her, she helps him realize everyone conquers reading in their own time.
In the subsequent chapters, we read about the great Halloween caper that Stuey devises, his soccer team trials and the final days of 2nd grade. Each chapter is full of humor interwoven with tender moments.
Whether listening to this story as a read-aloud or reading it on one’s own, we discover that there really is only one Stuey Lewis! I look forward to reading the next book Stuey Lewis Against All Odds: Stories from the Third Grade.
Posted by: Wendy
Sam and Morgan are best friends. Strike that – Sam and Morgan used to be best friends. Now Morgan has declared that he will be kicking Sam’s butt in exactly 33 minutes. How did these life-long friends come to this place? That’s exactly what Sam is trying to figure out in Todd Hasak-Lowy’s 33 Minutes. Told mostly through flashbacks from Sam’s point of view, Hasak-Lowy uses sharp wit to take a bit of the edge off the very real heartache that comes with growing up and growing apart, without sugar-coating the reality of this all-too-familiar situation.
Sam is incredibly bright, but not so popular. Morgan has become quite popular in junior high, but he’s never been the best student. As Morgan’s new friends begin taking up more of his time, Sam can’t help but feel left out and a bit jealous. Over the course of a few months, tensions build between the two best friends, and when everything comes to a head Sam is certain it must be Morgan’s fault. A little reflection over the course of the ever dwindling 33 minutes, however, sheds some light on the reality of Sam and Morgan’s situation, and Sam realizes that maybe he is not completely blameless himself.
In Sam Todd Hasak-Lowy has created a very real and very witty character. Sam’s clever observations will have readers laughing out loud but the humor does not take away from the painful reality of Sam’s situation. It is exactly this mixture of humor and reality that make this book an excellent choice for a book discussion group (particularly for boys) or for a 5th or 6th grade classroom read-aloud.
Posted by: Staci
Reader Gut Reaction: Gadget Girl: The Art of Being Invisible, by Suzanne Kamata, comes out in May, but I've been cleared by the author to get some buzz going—and I'm thrilled to be able to do so with a book that deftly handles many facets of the... Read the rest of this post
It was amusingly ridiculous, the trouble it took to get a copy of this book. First, I thought I'd already reviewed it, years ago. Turns out I'd reviewed another of the author's novels (and hadn't even labeled that one properly, so almost didn't find... Read the rest of this post
Everyone from Forbes Magazine to individual authors are selling the "thar's gold in them there backlists!" schtick. But, is there really? Are book which were first published in the seventies or eighties best kept there? A book which goes out of... Read the rest of this post
Reader Gut Reaction: When the cheerleaders and the geeks team up to try to solve a school group funding problem together, WHAT could possibly go wrong? That fabulous title ends up proving itself apt again and again throughout this hilarious and... Read the rest of this post
Once we started talking about authors who straddle the line between traditional publishing and ebooks, they seemed to be all over the place! Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of twenty-three books published through traditional publishers, has now put... Read the rest of this post
Reader Gut Reaction: Kirby Larson is a familiar face to many of us old-school bloggers, since she's been to many a Kidlitcon and SCBWI conference. Her first book about Hattie Brooks, Hattie Ever After, introduced us to a (dare I use this hackneyed... Read the rest of this post
In the sixty-five years since India was no longer a single entity but because itself and Pakistan, then later Pakistan and Bangladesh, there has been a lot of hostility, a lot of suspicion, and a lot of bloodshed. The causes and consequences are... Read the rest of this post
Some times when I finish a book, I feel like I've been on a journey with the characters. Just today, when I finished Dear Blue Sky by Mary Sullivan, I felt like I'd traveled with Cassie through a hard period in her life - and felt what it was like to come out okay. Not perfect, but knowing that I could be strong enough to keep going. I'm definitely looking forward to sharing Dear Blue Sky with my students this fall.
Dear Blue Sky
by Mary Sullivan
NY: Nancy Paulsen / Penguin, 2012
ages 9 - 12
available at your local library and on Amazon
You never really understand how much you need someone until they're gone. That's what Cassie realizes when her older brother Sef leaves for Iraq to serve in the Marines.
"I didn't even realize how much Sef held us together until he was gone. He was the only one who could make Van smile. He was Jack's hero and Dad's best budy. He was the only one Mom listened to when she'd had too much to drink. And me, I was myself with Sef."
When Sef does leave, Cassie's whole family has to figure out how they'll cope. Sullivan paints a complex portrait of this family in crisis. Tweens will appreciate the way she dives into the difficulties Cassie faces, protecting her little brother, connecting to her older sister and insisting that their mother come out of her grief to notice the children she still had at home. Sullivan doesn't shy away from tough issues.
Cassie wrestles with more than just coping with her brother's absence; she grapples with understanding the war in Iraq. When her history teacher asks all of the students to find a blog written by someone in a different country, Cassie discovers a blog called Blue Sky, written by an Iraqi girl who's her age. Through her growing friendship with Blue Sky, Cassie starts to understand different sides of the Iraq War, how it's affecting Blue Sky's family and life, tearing apart her city, terrorizing her family, limiting her daily life. Here is part of an email Blue Sky wrote to Cassie, explaining her blog's name:
"The day America started bombing Baghdad was the day the sky turned gray. The electricity go out for hours at a time and all is dark much of a day. The explosions and helicopters are more loud in the dark. When I remember old Iraq I think of light and blue sky, the color it used to be. So you understand my name now.
In my past I went to school and parties and swimming. I do nothing now and I am tired. What I want? I want my family to live. I try to have hope but it is difficult. I wish to have my spirit back. I wish to be a bird and fly high away. Except the sky is full with smoke and bombs."
I was particularly impressed with how Sullivan raises these complex issues in a way that tweens will understand - personalizing the impact of the suffering caused by the Iraq War, focusing in on family and friendship dynamics, looking closely at the impact of assumptions and isolation. At the end, I felt like I had truly been on a journey with Cassie, growing with her in my understanding and compassion. Through it all, Cassie becomes closer with both her sister Van and her friends, but she also becomes stronger and more centered in who she really is.
I especially liked this review of
Dear Blue Sky from Leah Cohen, the author of
The Grief of Others (quoted on
Mary Sullivan's website):
"Mary Sullivan takes complex subjects—war, loyalty, bullying, friendship—and honors their complexity in lucid, fast-paced, effortless-seeming prose. Her young narrator, Cass, comes to understand that love is not easy, nor, in itself, is it enough to set the world right. But she also learns that love is often closer than it seems, and that the ability to recognize its presence is a vital gift. Full of questions and full of warmth, Dear Blue Sky allows readers to engage with big ideas in a wonderfully accessible way; even more generous, it allows us to think for ourselves."
For other reviews, check out the
New York Times review and
Kirkus Reviews. The review copy was kindly sent by the publisher, Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.
Review ©2012 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books
2012, Viking.
Elena, or Hannah. It doesn’t matter even if she is the same person. All she knows is that she is no longer in Moldova but in America, about to live the American dream.
She saw the poster when she left her hometown…a girl struggling in the fist of a giant hand, the words “You are not a product” written underneath. Her friend Katya warned her about it, but her babulya told her she should go and be free, and Hannah agrees with her. After her parents were killed in a bombing of a small café, she feels more of a nuisance to her family that took her in. Hannah knows things are tight, and finding a job as a nanny in America can only help. That was what she was recruited for from the beginning.
Hannah’s excitement of leaving Moldova for America comes to a halt before she even leaves the country. Fake passports, handlers taking her to and from places…she doesn’t even want to think about the one in the black car and what he did to her. Now, as Hannah steps off the plane in Los Angeles, she’s more nervous than happy, and can only hope she can pass immigration without detection.
When she does, Sergey is waiting for her, ready to take her to her new home. But is home the right term to use for what she has to endure? Her treatment, her lack of wages, her work hours….the Platonovs promise one thing, but do the opposite. Hannah is trapped. She has no friends, no one to talk to, no one who cares about her. There is only one person she has barely spoken to and it’s a teenage boy who lives beside them. Hannah is told she can speak to no one or the police will find out and lock her away. Hannah feels her only protection is the prison she’s trapped in.
The Platanovs requested her specifically for a reason. Why would they do that and treat her the way they do? What is the reason behind Sergey wanting Hannah? When the truth slowly begins to leak out, Hannah realizes the connections are only too real and it’s only a matter of time before the truth could destroy her life and the lives of those back at home. Will she ever see home again?
Kim Purcell writes a realistic fiction book that will take readers into the dark and mortifying process of human trafficking. Her character of Hannah takes the readers through the perspective of the victim and how they become entrapped in a country that celebrates freedom and individual rights. Most people don’t think America could be home to such a travesty as human trafficking, but it could be happening in your own neighborhood. This book is as much about the story as it is about bringing to the forefront this epidemic of baselessness. Purcell derives the theme and plot of this book through personal experience and her author’s notes are a must read. Highly recommended.
Common Core pairing: Five Thousand Years of Slavery by Majorie Gann
It’s September, so everyone is back in school–and surrounded by a whole student body full of germs! The weather is getting colder, and it seems like there are sniffles and coughs everywhere. We’re all taught to wash our hands constantly, but somehow everyone always gets sick anyway.
What do we need in a situation like this? A funny book about a flu pandemic, that’s what. (Yes, really).
Finn Reeder is annoyed that his teacher, Ms. Westing, is out of school with the flu, especially since she left instructions that the class is supposed to start keeping a journal “with a full page for every single day.” Finn writes dutifully (if not cheerfully) away, and finds that he is unwitting keeping a log of a massive flu pandemic that lays his school, town, and the entire country low.
With his father burning the mail and forcing the family to wear hazmat suits, half the school out sick, and his English class proctored by a mysterious figure in a gas mask, will Finn manage to make it through the month without dying of . . . dodgeball? (Guess which teacher is NOT sick). Check out this hilarious notebook-style semi-graphic novel to find out.
Posted by: Sarah
When I studied the work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez in grad school, I heard the word "magical realism" overwhelmingly. We talked a lot about the concept as defined by his work, and by the work of Latin American writers. We also talked about how... Read the rest of this post
Oh, Hard SF, how I always want to understand you. How I wish there was more YA hard SF, for the smart young adults who, from the fiction they read, dream the world into being. How I struggle to comprehend more than basic physics in starship... Read the rest of this post
It is no secret that middle school can be tough, but clearly some kids have a tougher time than others. August “Auggie” Pullman’s first year of middle school would fall under the “tougher” category. Auggie is a normal kid, or at least he would like everyone to see him that way. However, Auggie was born with a severe facial deformity for which he has undergone numerous surgeries. As a result, he has had to be homeschooled…until now. Just as he is about to begin the fifth grade, Auggie’s parents have decided that it is time for him to start attending school outside his home. Among the numerous other challenges of beginning middle school, Auggie is also saddled with the challenging task of convincing his new classmates and teachers that, despite his extraordinary appearance, he really is an ordinary kid. In the novel Wonder, author R.J. Palacio uses multiple first-person narratives to weave an achingly realistic account of the hardships Auggie faces during his first year in middle school as well as how his arrival in his new school affects those around him.
Through the use of a multi-cast recording, the Brilliance Audio recording of Wonder brings an enhanced depth and authenticity to Auggie’s story. If you have never listened to an audiobook, this is a great title to try out. Palacio’s style of first-person narratives lends itself perfectly to an audio recording, particularly one with multiple cast members to represent the book’s various narrators. Each narrator breathes a whole new life into his or her character as we, the listeners/readers, are able to experience more fully the complicated emotions that drive his or her actions throughout the story. Listening to Auggie’s story also adds a whole new level to the humor that Palacio skillfully places throughout the book. It is virtually impossible not to crack a smile when listening to Auggie and his parents joke about the fact that his new principal’s last name is Tushman.
Whether you read it, listen to it, or read along while listening to it, Wonder is perfect for any middle schooler or those of us who remember what it was like to be one…but if you ask me, you really should try giving it a listen.
Posted by: Staci
Today marks the Year of the Snake in the Chinese calendar and I would like to share a special book, Crouching Tiger by Ying Chang Compestine. This book particularly spoke to me about the ways a grandfather reached out to his grandson, stretching across cultural differences. Compestine's story rings true for many families, and it is one that children will appreciate.
illustrated by Yan Nascimbene
Candlewick, 2011
ages 5-9
Like many boys, Vinson loves martial arts and is eager to show off his fastest kicks and punches. When his grandfather visits from China, Vinson watches his grandfather practice the ancient art of tai chi.
"His hands moved like gliding birds. He crouched like a tiger; he drew an invisible bow; he lifted a foot like a rooster and stood still."
Vinson wants to learn tai chi himself, and his grandfather starts by teaching him a standing meditation. This quiet, disciplined form is definitely a challenge for Vinson, and he almost gives up. He can't understand how tai chi build strength. But when his grandfather brings him to the New Year's parade and asks him to lead the dragon with the cabbage, Vinson is full of awe and respect for his grandfather.
Compestine captivates young readers with this portrait of a family's cultural identities, as the generations reach out to one another. She conveys young Vinson's embarrassment and growing respect for his grandfather as he comes to see and understand him. The illustrations are quiet, until the climatic scenes, matching the narrative journey nicely.
Combine this with Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith's nonfiction
Celebrating Chinese New Year, which follows Ryan, a young Chinese-American boy in San Francisco, as his family prepares for Chinese New Year. For a simpler book, look for
The Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year by Kate Waters and Maeline Slovenz-Low, which shows how 6-year-old Ernie performs his first lion dance. In simple, easy-to-read sentences, Ernie describes the way he and his family prepare for Chinese New Year. While the photographs are not very crisp, this book is still engaging and worth seeking out.
The review copy of
Crouching Tiger was kindly sent by the publishers Candlewick Books. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.
Review ©2013 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books
Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead, Wendy Lamb Books, 2012, 192 pp, ISBN: 0385737432
Recap:
Things aren't going so hot for Georges (the "s" is silent). His dad just lost his job, forcing their family to move out of their house and into an apartment. His mom is working at the hospital almost 24 hours a day. And Dallas Llewellyn is doing everything he can to make Georges' life a nightmare at school.
But when Georges joins the Spy Club, things start to look up for the first time in months...
Review:Rebecca Stead, my hat is off to you. When You Reach Me was pure genius. I laughed, I cried, you shocked me in the end. Liar & Spy followed almost the same trajectory. (Sidenote: Are you friends in real life with Esme Raji Codell? Because I just have a feeling you would love each other.)
Liar & Spy is really a very simple story, that pretty much every 4th, 5th, or 6th grader in America could relate to a some point: struggles at home + bullies at school = a very lonely time in life. It actually started a bit slowly for me, but quickly picked up with the introduction of characters like Safer, Candy
(love!), and Bob English Who Draws. Although
Liar & Spy lacked the time traveling magic of Stead's first novel, the resiliency and quirkiness of the Blue Team added their own special brand of magic.
And Rebecca Stead truly has a gift for the surprise ending. There are few things I love more than a story that is
not predictable!
Recommendation:
I've already started recommending Liar & Spy to anyone (teachers, parents, actual kids!) who work with kiddos in the 4th - 6th grade group. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a book I will read with my own son one day.
**Just for the record, I listened to Liar & Spy via audiobook, and while I still clearly enjoyed it, I think the reader will gain more from the print version - Bob English Who Draws (and creatively spells) would agree.
BOB Prediction:
Liar & Spy is up against Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz in the first round. Now y'all know I am a big fan of Georges, but Splendors and Glooms just might be my most highly anticipated read of the remaining Contenders. I'm going to have to get back to you after I read it...
Quotable Quotes:
"Boredom is what happens to people who have no control over their minds." - Safer
Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2012, 320 pp, ISBN: 0375869026
Recap:August Pullman doesn't look like anyone else. Born with a severe facial deformity that is still dramatic even after years of plastic surgery, Auggie tells readers "I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse."
At the beginning of August's 5th grade year, he starts attending public school for the first time in his life. Not surprisingly, the transition is anything but easy.
But August's life is like real life - nothing can be all good or all bad, people will always surprise you, there is always hope.
Review:Book lovers, I am woefully late to the party that is Wonder. Admittedly, I skipped it on purpose. I knew the gist of the story, and just didn't feel like being depressed. But it's one of the Contenders for the 2013 BOB so off to the library I went. Two nights ago I posted on my sister's facebook wall "Please give me some encouragement to start Wonder..." Within 30 minutes there was a LIST of different people telling me to read it immediately, and they all used lots of exclamation points. I couldn't avoid it any longer.
And I am kicking myself for waiting so long. Wonder is 100% about one boy's face, and how it affects the people around him. But you know what? It's also not really about his face at all. Wonder is about all of us. It's about how we choose to treat each other - how much effort we are willing to make to reach out, to love, to empathize with one another, whether we know each other or not. Wonder is about living life courageously, and with a sense of humor. It is about doing the right thing, not because we will be applauded or appreciated - but doing the right thing, even when others may laugh or turn their backs, simply because it is right.
As I read, I couldn't help but think of my son, Lincoln. He has the sweetest spirit and the kindest heart, and I just pray that his dad and I can help him to nurture and guard those qualities as he grows up. I hope that Lincoln grows up to be like Auggie, or Via, or Jack, or Summer. I never buy books, but there is no doubt that I will be adding a copy of Wonder to Linc's bookshelf.
One note about the format: I've read some reviews where the reader really didn't care for the way the narrators switched around to include a variety of different people in August's life. While I thought some choices were surprising (his sister's boyfriend for one), the changing narrators never once pulled me out of the story. In fact, I felt like they added so much more dimension. Because of the multiple first-person perspectives, we were able to witness a variety of personal transformations on a very intimate level. I loved that. But I just really wished Mr. Browne had had his own chapters; his precepts were one of my favorite parts of the book!
Recommendation:Read it. Read it to your children. Read it in your book club. Read it with your students, or your spouse, or your best friend. Wonder is literally a must-read.
BOB Prediction:Oh man, this is a tough one. A huge part of me wants to predict that Wonder will go all the way to the Big Kahuna Round. However... it's up against Bomb in the first round. Potentially life-changing fiction vs. absolutely brilliant nonfiction. This one is too close for me to call; I'd be happy either way!
Quotable Quotes:"Shall we make a new rule of life... always try to be a little kinder than necessary." - J.M. Barrie
"Everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their life because we all overcometh the world." - August Pullman
"If every single person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than necessary - the world really would be a better place. And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God." - Mr. Tushman
By:
Jaclyn DeForge,
on 3/4/2013
Blog:
The Open Book
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Jaclyn DeForge, our Resident Literacy Expert, began her career teaching first and second grade in the South Bronx, and went on to become a literacy coach and earn her Masters of Science in Teaching. In her column she offers teaching and literacy tips for educators.
One aspect of the Common Core that I get asked questions about all the time is thematic text sets. What are they? How do you know which books to use? What types of texts should you be pairing together?
Fear not! I’ve compiled some examples of text sets that cover one topic and span multiple genres and reading levels and over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing these sets with you. Some of the titles you may already have in your classroom library, and others I think you’ll enjoy discovering.
Theme/topic: The Moon
Grade: 2nd
Informational Text: The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons (Shared Reading)
- provides scientific information about the moon
- can be used to address informational text standards
Nonfiction Poetry: A Full Moon is Rising by Marilyn Singer (Read Aloud)
- provides scientific information about the moon
- provides information regarding moon-related festivals, traditions, holidays, and celebrations
- can be used to address informational text and literature standards
Realistic Fiction: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (Guided Reading)
- the moon plays a central role in the setting of the story
- can be used to address literature standards
Realistic Fiction: Surprise Moon by Caroline Hatton (Independent Reading)
- discusses celebrations and festivals related to the moon
- can be used to address literature standards
from A Full Moon is Rising
What books would you put on this list? Add your favorites in the comments!
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- Know all the Questions, but not the Answers - Look for the Different instead of the Same - Never Walk when there's room for Running - - Don't do anything that can't be a Game."The Never Grown-Up Spell, from The Changeling I have a lot of respect... Read the rest of this post
Kevin Spencer is the most romantic 14-year- old guy you will ever meet – or so he would like to have us believe. He has a crush on Tina Zabinski who, in Kevin’s eyes, is the most beautiful girl in the world. He just knows he would make a perfect boyfriend. He realizes that he must swing into immediate action when the new boy in school, Cash, starts showing attention to Tina.
Since romance is based on chemistry, Kevin decides that he must gather information on love and romance by creating a variety of experiments. Some of his experiments are successful and others not so much. He feels that his experiments have him on the right tract to understanding girls and thus becoming the best of the best when it comes to being a boyfriend.
The problem is Kevin tries too hard. His experiments don’t really help him figure how girls think. Nor do they give him the nerve to ask Tina out. Is this romance doomed before it even begins? I suggest you read this clever and funny book to find out.
Other books about Kevin Spencer are Flat Broke and Liar, Liar.
Posted by: Wendy
By:
Betsy Bird,
on 8/6/2012
Blog:
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Freaky Fast Frankie Joe
By Lutricia Clifton
Holiday House
$16.95
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2367-5
Ages 9-12
On shelves now
Realistic fiction for kids has more baggage than other fictional genres for that age group. Fantasies and comedies and science fiction get to rely on the extraordinary to weave their tales. Historical fiction, meanwhile, has the nice veil of history in place to aid the writer in making their point. What does realistic fiction have? Reality. Cold, cruel, dead dogs and incurable disease-ridden reality. When people think of middle grade realistic fiction their minds sometimes go to deeply depressing works where horrible things happen to perfectly nice kids. Blame schools that equate misery with learning for that crime. My favorite works of realistic fiction move beyond obvious metaphors and big honking deaths to make their points in subtler, more amusing ways. No one’s going to necessarily accuse Lutricia Clifton’s Freaky Fast Frankie Joe of being a laugh riot, admitted. But with its appealing hero, recognizable cast of characters and strong plot this is one subtle little novel that wins you over before you even realized you needed convincing. Consider discovering it.
Here’s a basic rule of thumb. Anytime you run into four boys named Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, odds are you’re going to find them less than saintly individuals. That’s bad. What’s worse is if you suddenly discover you’re their big brother. Frankie Joe always led a life that he liked. He had lots of folks in the trailer park to watch over him and a mom that’s a lot more fun than the ones that make their kids go to school every day. Everything was just ducky until she went and got herself arrested. Now Frankie Joe’s father, a guy he’s never even met, appears out of the blue and takes the boy to middle-of-nowhere Plainview, Illinois. The deal is that Frankie Joe will stay there for the ten months his mom’s in the hoosegow, but ten months is too long for this boy. Not only are his newfound younger brothers a bother (particularly alpha male Matt) but his father’s some kind of stickler for self-improvement. That’s when a brilliant idea occurs. Frankie Joe’s fast on a bike. Really fast. Freaky fast. What if he started a delivery service and earned the money he needed to buy the stuff he’d use to get back to the old trailer park to wait out his mom? It’s a crazy plan but he’s sure it’ll work. That is, if he can just harden his heart to Plainview and the people who are in it.
Foster boys of the The Great Gilly Hopkins ilk are, as far as I can ascertain, less common than foster girls in middle grade literature. For every Frankie Joe you’ll find a dozen Home, and Other Big, Fat Lies or The Road to Paris titles. Why is it that foster girls are appealing but foster boys aren’t? To be perfectly frank, Frankie Joe isn’t really a foster kid either. He has a loving father and new family just sitting there waiting for him. The kind of situation many a kid would kill for . .
Kids are NOT patient readers, for the most part. You've got to grab them from the very beginning, introduce the main characters and setting, and thrust them into the problems or action of the story. All within a paragraph or two. That's a tall order for a writer to pull off. Three Times Lucky, by Sheila Turnage, starts off with a bang - it hooked me from the first page:
"Trouble cruised into Tupelo Landing at exactly seven minutes past noon on Wednesday, the third of June, flashing a gold badge and driving a Chevy Impala the color of dirt. Almost before the dust had settled, Mr. Jesse turned up dead and life in Tupelo Landing turned upside down."
Bang! Right away, you know that someone's died, trouble is turning everyone's life upside down. The narrator - Mo LeBeau, a rising sixth grader - introduces herself right in the next paragraph, letting the middle grade reader know just who's who.
Three Times Lucky
by Sheila Turnage
NY: Dial Books, 2012
ages 9 - 12
available from your local library and on Amazon
Mysteries are nothing new to eleven year old Mo LeBeau. She's been trying to figure out who her "Upstream Mother" is for years. You see, she was found as a tiny baby floating on a river after a hurricane struck this rural North Carolina area - thus her full name, Moses. Every chance she gets, Mo floats bottles with messages to her Upstream Mother - hoping that the river that brought her to Tupelo Landing will also bring her birth mother back to her. And there's also the mystery of the Colonel - Mo's adoptive father and the owner of the local town cafe. Who exactly was he before his amnesia wiped away his memory?
But as Mo tells us, trouble really comes to town when the law arrives, flashing a gold badge and driving a beat up Chevy. At first, Detective Joe Starr suspects Mo's best friend Dale for committing the murder of Mr. Jesse. So Mo sets about trying to solve the murder case herself. One thing leads to another, and pretty soon the whole town is trying to figure out who has kidnapped Mo's adoptive parents, the Colonel and Miss Lana.
Sheila Turnage creates memorable characters that made me laugh at every turn. Even the secondary characters have unique personalities - and yet their quirkiness never overwhelms the story. Turnage builds the plot, turn by turn, toward an eventful climax. She balances descriptive language, humor, setting and action - carefully making sure each step takes you closer to understanding the mystery. She unveils just enough hints to satisfy middle grade readers. As the
Kirkus starred review says,
"Pairing the heartbreaking sadness of children who don’t get their fair share from parents with the hilarity of small-town life, Turnage achieves a wickedly awesome tale of an 11-year-old girl with more spirit and gumption than folks twice her age."
Go ahead and read this sample of
Three Times Lucky from
Google Books. You'll get a sense of Turnage's witty style right from the beginning:
Many folks are raving about
Three Times Lucky. Some are suggesting it might be a dark horse contender for the Newbery Award. See reviews at:
The review copy was kindly sent by the publishers, Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.
Review ©2012 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books
I've been reading a slew of serious books lately for the mock Newbery group,
Newbery Blueberry Mockery Pie, so I took a slight detour between
The Lions of Little Rock and
Wonder, to read the latest in the "
Stuff" series.
Holm, Jennifer L. 2012.
Ginny Davis's Year in Stuff: Eighth Grade is Making me Sick. New York: Random House. (Ill. by
Elicia Castaldi)
Using an updated version of the wonderful format that served the Klise Sisters so well in the
Regarding the ... and
43 Old Cemetery Road series,
Jennifer Holm has crafted a winning series consisting of a collection of correspondence and realia. While the aformentioned series rely heavily upon letters, newsletters, newspaper clippings and such - all rendered in black and white sketches, the
Stuff series is illustrated by Elicia Castaldi and is a wonderfully fun and colorful combination of collages created from sketches, artfully chosen backgrounds, Post-it notes, screen shots, cell phone messages, scribbled notes, a brother's cartoons - virtually anything that might convey information to or about Ginny Davis, 8th grader at Woodland Central Middle School.
Changes are coming to Ginny's financially struggling family. The biggest change? Mom's pregnant. Didn't notice the positive pregnancy test stick in the garbage? No worries, just check the IM window running next to spider solitaire,
GinnyGirl
OMG mi mom is pregnant! I though she was just getting fat!
beckysooboo1
OMG! OMG! She's a grannymom!
GinnyGirl
What's a grannymom?
beckysooboo1
an old mom!
GinnyGirl
She iz pretty old. She's 39!
beckysooboo1
Do u think shez having twins? Or 3lets? I love all those shows with multiples!
GinnyGirl
omg. I hope not.
In addition to mom's pregnancy, Ginny has to worry about making the cheer squad and earning some new privileges, specifically, permission to bike to school and join an online movie fan group, "Vampire Vixens Den." Hopefully, persistent stomach trouble and a troubling family financial situation won't keep her from completing
Ginny's big To-Do List
- Try out for cheer
- Convince Mom to let me bike to school
- Fall in love
- Work on art (sketch every day)
- Save money
- Look good in family Christmas photo
- Join Vampire Vixens Den
- Teach Grampa Joe how to email
- Have a cool Halloween costumer for once
- Ignore horoscopes!
There are so many reasons to like this book. It tackles the very real problem of declining middle-class income. It embraces modern culture. It's fun. It's funny. It's artistic. Ginny is a likable young girl. Kids (especially girls) will love it. Do I sound like a Jennifer Holm fan? I am.
Want to see more of
Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick?
Watch a "behind the scenes" video on the author's webpage.
Another review @
Kirkus ReviewsNote:
If you're a teacher who shies away from assigning any form of illustrated novel, here's an idea for you - with the current focus on cross-curricular instruction, pair up with the art teacher, if you're lucky enough to still have one! Let students tell their own stories in this appealing mix of text, art, and reality.
Note: This post had been edited to correct an incorrect attribution that I realized after posting. My apologies, LT
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This is definitely on my wish list, so I'm glad to read your review. The premise grabs me. And yes, I love the cover.
Wow, this sounds like a fun, endearing, and fresh twist on things. Looks great.
This sounds very good, and I shall add it to my list! Thanks.
It was an enjoyable read! I did wish it had delved a bit more into certain aspects--for me, it moved a little quickly in some ways--and maybe that's because it included so many meaty themes.
Yay! This made me so happy! Thank you so much for reading Gadget Girl and reviewing it on your blog!!
Thank YOU for the opportunity to read it, and for writing about the mixed-race experience! :)