Lydia and Julie are back! This time, Lydia convinces Julie that they need to start a rock band. Julie makes Lydia sign a contract saying that this is not one of Lydia’s popularity schemes. First, they have to learn how to play some instruments (hilarity ensues) Roland’s in the band. Jane manages to worm her way in, too (drama ensues) and then… they have to play some shows. Even though they’re not that good. In fact, they’re horrible (more hilarity ensues.)
Things I loved about this book: Jane and Chuck break up, and Chuck’s like “Hey Lydia” and Lydia doesn’t fall for it. She’s pretty firm in that she doesn’t want to be friends with him after what happened in the last book and how he just ditched her for Jane. Lydia knows she’s worth more than that, and she’s not taking any less.
Also, their lyrics are hysterically awful.
AND OMG MELODY! Lydia’s older sister has always been an odd voice of reason, coming from an angry goth girl. At the end of the last book, we are told that something MAJOR happened and we finally get to see it. I love the new Melody. I like the glimpses we get of who she is based on what *hasn’t* changed.
Things I love about this series that haven’t changed: Lydia and Julie are still awesome. I love the full color comic/word novel hybrid. I love their friends, especially Roland and Jen.
But most of all, I love Julie’s dads. They’re so perfectly wonderful parents while being horribly embarrassing at the same time.
Book Provided by... my local library
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By: Jennie,
on 4/3/2013
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: graphic novel hybrids, Juvenile, Amy Ignatow, Popularity Papers, Fiction, Add a tag
By: Jennie,
on 3/29/2013
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Juvenile, Hilary McKay, Fiction, Lulu, Add a tag
Hilary McKay has a great new early chapter book series out.
Lulu is known for animals. The rule in Lulu's house is "The more the merrier, as long as Lulu cleans up after them!"
Every week, Lulu's class goes to the local pool for swimming and walks back to school through the park, where they take a small break. The kids love their time at the park, sitting by the pond. Lulu especially loves the area known as "duck row" where many ducks have made their nests under the bushes. This week, two dogs get loose and scare all the ducks. In the process, many of the nests and their eggs get smashed. Lulu notices one egg left unbroken, rolling away, so she scoops it up and takes it back to school.
Mrs. XXX has just instituted a rule saying that the kids aren't allowed animals in class, so Lulu has to keep the egg hidden, and safe, and warm, but what will she do when it starts to hatch?
When Lulu and her family go on vacation, she sees a dog that seems to come from the sea. Everyone know town knows about the dog from the sea-- he's the reason you have to take your trash can inside the house at night. Stealing hot dogs from the hot dog stand an understandable thing for a dog to do. Stealing (and eating!) a shovel (the most expensive, nicest shovel) from the postcard stand? That dog is a nuisance!, but the dog catchers can't get him.
Lulu wants to get to know the dog from the sea, so she breaks all the rules to lure him closer, to get to know him. I mean, the more the merrier, right? But another hamster or rabbit is one thing-- can Lulu really handle another dog?
*****************************
I was a little apprehensive of this series-- I love McKay's Casson family books, so there were high expectations going into this-- could she maintain the same level of awesome for an early chapter book?
Short answer--yes.
I love Lulu's relationship with her cousin Mellie, especially because they don't always enjoy the same things or understand each other. I like how there's more to Lulu than animals (such as jumping off the swings at the highest point possible) but everyone remembers the animals.
As an adult reader, I love the adults. They're done with enough comic timing to make kids laugh, but adult readers will understand where the book adults are coming from and with sympathize. It's also the little touches-- Lulu's mom brings a book for every day of their vacation, plus War and Peace, just in case.
I loved a scene in the first book when Lulu's teacher tries to read the kids Harry Potter but they keep interrupting to tell her that that's not right, because that's not how the movie was, and that she was doing the voices wrong. McKay has an excellent touch for the small details of life.
This is an excellent series, up there with Clementine.
Come back tomorrow, where I'll actually be interviewing Ms. McKay! Squee! So exciting! Also, a giveaway!
Books Provided by... the publisher for blog review and book tour stop.
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 3/18/2013
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Excellence in Nonfiction, outer space, scientists in the field, Mars, Elizabeth Rusch, Juvenile, YA, Add a tag
I'm back looking at more the books on YALSA's Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults long-list.
This is another great addition to the always excellent Scientists in the Field series. Steven Squyres is a geologist who wanted to study the rocks on Mars. He came up with the idea to send a robotic geologist in his place. The Mars Rovers went up in 2003. Spirit and Opportunity were supposed to last about 3 months. They lasted for years. Opportunity is *still* going and doing science.
I really enjoyed the way the book follows the Rovers and the team on Earth. It does a great job of showing how the scientists on the ground had to often quickly build a "fake Mars" to figure out if there was a way they could get a rover out a jam-- up a hill, or out of a sand dune. It's also so well that I almost cried when Spirit went quiet. No little robot who's lasted years longer than you should, don't die!
It also does a great job of explaining why this type of exploration is important and why we're so obsessed with studying Mars.
You can follow the Mars Rovers on NASA's website.
Update: I forgot to link to today's Nonfiction Monday roundup! It's at Perogie's and Gyoza.
Book Provided by... the publisher, for award consideration.
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 3/6/2013
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: joseph delaney, Juvenile, paranormal, Fiction, Add a tag
In the 10th book of the Last Apprentice series, we take a break from dealing with the Fiend do deal with an issue closer to home. Apparently, a large number of Romanian dark creatures have settled just over the county border. With the destruction of the Spook's library, they're at more of a loss in how to deal with them, as the Spook's notes and research into these spirits is long gone.
Yes, finally, we have a vampire, but these aren't sparkly hot guys. These are horrible, disgusting creatures that provide some the biggest danger we've seen so far.
We also get some horrible information about what Tom has to do next.
In ways, it's a place holder book. I do like that we get non-English creatures and there's the interesting twist of not having to travel to get them. We also really see how much the Spook has aged, and how Tom's apprenticeship is starting to come to an end, how he will soon be a Spook in his own right.
I still love this series (even if I'm a book behind) and OMG YOU GUYS!!! Did you see the movie comes out next fall? With JEFF BRIDGES as the spook? I'm excited, but getting nervous. Mother Malkin's a bit too pretty. And WTF is with this: "Based on the young-adult novel The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney,Seventh Son casts Bridges as Master John Gregory, a "Spook" who imprisoned the evil witch Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore) centuries before." CENTURIES? Um, no. Spook's not THAT old! We'll see.
In the meantime, I'm going to curl up with the next book, Slither, which looks like an interesting departure. And, of course, counting down the days until September's release of I Am Alice.
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 2/25/2013
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: nonfiction monday, Juvenile, Nonfiction, JH Everett, history, Add a tag
I'm taking a break from the covering the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction longlist to bring you something else that I just read.
Virgil is a ghostorian-- a historian with a magic time-travel device that allows him to go to any place in any time and talk to ghosts to get a good sense of what really happened there.
He uses these powers to take us to many castles around the world to show how hard (and disgusting) life really was, especially for the many people who WEREN'T royalty, but still lived there.
In a lot of ways, this is very similar to the You Wouldn't Want to Be... series, but for a slightly older audience. The content isn't that older, but the trim size and presentation will make it appeal to readers who might dismiss the You Wouldn't Want to Be... books as looking too young.
It's a fun look at the dark and gritty side of castle life, focusing on why castles tended to exist in the first place-- fortresses to protect and defend during war time. It also spends a lot of time on dungeons and torture.
I'm not sure on the who "ghostorian" angle-- it wasn't played up a lot and so when it did happen, I was like "wait, what? OH YEAH! THAT!" I think they could have done A LOT more with that bit. Or cut it entirely.
I do really like that it covered castles outside of Europe. I also really liked the "funny" castles. Hellbrunn Water palace was a designed by the Prince Archbishop, and was a way for him to play a million water-based practical jokes on visitors.
It's not a book you'll quote in a research paper, but it is a fun book that may inspire you to pick up some more on the topic.
Today's Nonfiction Monday is over at Shelf-Employed.
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 6/13/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Juvenile, Joan Bauer, Fiction, Add a tag
Foster and her Mama left Memphis in the middle of the night, on the run from a boyfriend gone bad. They end up in Culpepper, WV, where they find a town dominated by the new prison--a prison that was supposed to give the town jobs and revililization, but didn't.
All Foster wants to do is bake, and have her own cooking show. When life gets rough, she just pretends she's on camera and narrates her cooking, practicing for her big break.
Meanwhile, there's a recluse movie star who sees Foster's hidden shame (she can't read), a budding documentary filmaker (who doesn't have a camera), a church that needs saving, and a robotic tarantula.
We have a small town full of quirky characters and a plucky girl who's new to town and saves the day and really, just a lot of tropes and themes that usually make me roll by eyes, BUT NOT THIS TIME. Foster's voice and determination to bake got me right from the start. I LOVE when she pretends she's on camera-- she's got it down perfectly and obviously uses it to work out her thoughts in a very fun way. They way Bauer draws side characters gives them a little more depth (and humor) than average. I especially loved the dynamic between the prison and the town--it's a fascinating issue and one that Bauer handles well and except for one scene, the prison isn't a scary presence. I liked how she explored how the town deals with the promised prosperity that failed to materialize.
I had to read this one for a training and wasn't expecting to love it as much as I do.
One note-- this was Schneider Family Book Award winner. The Schneider Family award "honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences." I assume it won because Foster can't read. The only problem is, that assumes Foster can't read because of a learning disability. WHY Foster can't read is never really discussed and a disability is only 1 possible explanation. (I mean, Doug Swieteck can't read either, but that's just because he never had good instruction, not because of a learning disability.) That's not to detract from the book at ALL, mostly a committee process thing that I'm curious about.
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 7/19/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Sisters Grimm, Michael Buckley, Juvenile, series, Fiction, Add a tag
Time to wrap up the Everafter War and say goodbye to the Grimm family-- this is the LAST book in the fantastic Sisters Grimm series. As such, it's spoiler-rific for earlier books in the series.
Mirror has taken control of Granny's body and is trying to get through the barrier. Ferryport Landing has been ransacked, looted, and reduced to little more than rubble. Uncle Jake is crazed with grief. The remaining mirrors can see only one future where the Grimms are victorious, and it involves Daphne forming a coven and Sabrina leading an army.
Sabrina's excited to be taken seriously, but she has to earn the mantle of responsibility and not just run from it.
Plus, zombie chipmunks and the end to the craziest love story ever.
A wonderful end to a wonderful series. Puck remains a perennial favorite. I love that he's the one that gives Sabrina the tough words she needs to hear to lead her army. I also enjoyed Bunny's backstory, which sheds a ton of new light on her character and motivations. I find Atticus problematic (in that way that violence against women has become a convenient short hand for "bad guy").
But, overall, a very fitting end to this series. I especially like the double epilogue.
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 7/20/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Margarita Engle, Cuba, dyslexia, Juvenile, verse novels, historical fiction, Add a tag
Homework Fear
The teacher at school
smiles, but she's too busy
to give me extra help,
so later, at home,
Mama tries to teach me.
She reminds me
to go oh-so-slowly
and take my time.
There is no hurry.
THe heavy book
will not rise up
and fly away.
When I scramble the sneaky letters
b and d, or the even trickier ones
r and l, Mama helps me learn
how to picture
the sep--a--rate
parts
of each mys--te--ri--ous
syl--la--ble.
Still, it's not easy
to go so
ss--ll--oo--ww--ll--yy.
S l o w l y.
SLOWLY!
I have to keep
warning myself
over and over
that whenever I try
to read too quickly,
my clumsy patience
flips over
and tumbles,
then falls...
Why?
Wwhhyyyy?
WHY?
¡Ay!
The doctor hisses Fefa's diagnosis like a curse-- word blindness*. She'll never read, or write. It's why she hates school so much, why the other kids taunt her when she has to read OUT LOUD.
But Fefa's mother has the heart of poet and doesn't accept the prognosis. She gives Fefa a blank book (one of the most terrifying things Fefa has seen) for her to fill with words as she gets them, slowly.
Fefa deals with the bullying and taunts of her classmates and siblings and slowly fills her book and slowly learns to detangle the letters.
Y'all know I'm a huge Engle fan. I'm most familiar with her YA stuff, but this one is more middle grade. There's a lot less politics and history**, as the main focus is Fefa's struggle with the written word. It's based on Engle's own grandmother and the stories she told of her own struggle with dyslexia.
Of course, one of the things that I like so much about Engle is how she weaves stories around Cuban history, so this wasn't my favorite one of hers. Also, there's only one narrator, while I'm used to her work being told in multiple voices. THAT SAID, it's still really good.
I like how Engle works with free verse and structure in this one to really capture Fefa's voice, especially when sounding words out and trying to figure out syllables. It's one that younger readers will enjoy and will cause them to seek out more of her work.
Today's Poetry Friday Round-up is over at... A Teaching Life. Be sure to check it out!
*Apparently, this is actually what they used to call dyslexia.
**Although it is set in 1912 Cuba and there is still some historical drama, it's just not the focus like it is in her other work.
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
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By: Jennie,
on 7/23/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: nonfiction monday, Cybils, Juvenile, Nonfiction, Add a tag
This is a very fun introduction to the science behind human behavior. It covers a wide variety of topics, from the effect color has on you to birth order. From dreaming to spacing out. The reader gets just enough explanation for it to make sense, but just short blurbs on each thing.
Each page spread is full of graphics and color that make this a great book for reluctant readers or one that's easy to dip in and out out. It's the design that really sold this book for me. The short blurbs of information, that all relate to each other so the reader gets a more complete picture, makes some difficult concepts much easier to understand. Coupled with fun pictures, lots of pictures, and a great use of white space, really make this book an easy sell to all sorts of readers. All of this is done without diluting the information presented.
Very fun, and very interesting, it's a wonderful introduction to human behavior, psychology, and biology that kids will love to read.
Today's Nonfiction Monday roundup is over at Perogies and Gyoza. Be sure to check it out!
Book Provided by... the publisher, for Cybils consideration
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 8/20/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: nonfiction monday, Cybils, Jen Coate, Juvenile, Nonfiction, Jim Calder, Add a tag
So You Thought You Couldn't Cut It, A Beginner's Guide to Wood Carving Jim Calder with Jen Coate
Jim Calder is a Master Carver who teaches workshops to adults and kids using his triangle method to carve a face. While Carter usually carves wood, in his workshops and this book, he uses a sweet potato-- it's the right size, easier for beginners to cut through, and when it dries out and looks a lot like wood.
Steps are clearly explained and each step is accompanied by a large, clear, color picture showing Calder's method. I didn't try to carve a sweet potato, so I can't say for sure, but the book makes it look pretty straightforward and do-able. If I had proper carving knives, I might buy a sweet potato and try it out, but I don't have the right tools, so, alas.
An extra exciting part about this book is Jen Coate. This book was published by the Young Writer's Foundation, which mentors writers in K-12, so it's pretty cool that a high school student was paired with Calder and wrote this book.
Today's Nonfiction Monday is hosted over at Jean Little Library.
Book Provided by... the publisher for Cybils consideration
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 9/10/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: star wars, Origami Yoda, Juvenile, Tom Angleberger, series, Fiction, Add a tag
It is a dark time at McQuarrie school--Dwight has transfered to Tippet Academy and taken Origami Yoda with him, leaving the kids at McQuarrie without his sage advice. Then Sara shows up with the Fortune Wookie, who's growls are translated into advice by Han Foldo. Dwight threw them down to her from his bedroom window, so Tommy and Kellan assume they're infused with some of the Origami Yoda's force. Still, they're on the case...
The Fortune Wookie gives good advice, but some of the truths the kids have face are painful. When investigating the Fortune Wookie, they stumble across another mystery--Dwight has turned totally normal. No more origami, no more weird sayings, totally and utterly normal (and kinda boring.) What gives?
Angleberger stays strong with this third installment of the Origami Yoda series. I'm a bit biased because I'm a total Han Solo girl and we get wonderful classic Solo lines sprinkled throughout the text. I also love that Sara gets full props and credit for knowing her Star Wars (the guys are all super impressed at her knowledge of minor characters. Also, she does an excellent Wookie growl.) AND AND AND AND AND! God bless Tom Angleberger for not giving the girl a Princess Leia origami. I mean, Princess Leia is AWESOME (how many diplomats do you know who can rock a blaster like that? PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW!) but Angleberger didn't give the girl and girl. It made my fangirl* heart swell to a new size.
I also really like how Darth Paper Strikes Back and Fortune Cookie stay funny while still tackling some big issues. I love how the McQuarrie kids accept Dwight as Dwight. And I"m very, very afraid for the next book. It's not as cliff hanger-y as Han being frozen and taken back to Jabba and Luke finding out that Vader is his father but... Dark times are coming. You may not be afraid but... you will be. You will be.
*as a fangirl of Star Wars and of Angleberger
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 9/25/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Juvenile, Rick Riordan, Ancient Egypt, Fiction, Add a tag
In this conclusion to the Kane Chronicles, Carter and Sadie have a desperate plan to save the world from Aphosis (the giant snake who wants to turn the world into a giant ball of chaos) but there's only a slim chance it will actually work and a rather large chance it will kill both of them in the process. But, first, there's a school dance to attend.
I continue to enjoy the dual narration between Sadie and Carter, especially with the asides and interjected comments to each other. I think this would work really well in audio and wish I had listened to this series instead of read them. I also like how Carter and Sadie are often on different missions, so you have multiple storylines to follow. It keeps the action a bit fresher and doesn't get bogged down in "and then we fought this random monster, and then we fought this demon, and then we fought this minor god, which can happen near the middle of his Greek/Roman books. Not that I don't LOVE them, but...
I think Riordan wraps the series up well (and props for only being 3 books!) but there are still some open doors, including hints at an Olympus crossover (But first, doesn't he have a Norse series in the works?)
Final Verdict: a good, strong conclusion to a fun series. If you've read the others, be sure to read this one, too.
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 10/2/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: books in stuff week, Juvenile, Jennifer Holm, series, Fiction, Add a tag
Ugh. How have I not reviewed this one yet? It's been a favorite for years. Ginny Davis is starting 7th grade, trying to navigate the waters of middle school. She's feuding with her best friend, hoping for a lead in ballet, and trying to keep her dog from eating her science project. Some things are big (her brother getting sent to military school, setting up her mom with the insurance salesman) but most are the minor dramas of the everyday (trying to get back the yellow sweater from your former best friend). Through school assignments, to-do lists, and IMs with her friends, we get a great sense of Ginny's voice.
This is also designed superbly well. It's full color and we don't really get any diary entries or conversation transcripts--this one's pure ephemera. When there are notes on the fridge, we see the fridge in the background. We can see the ever-increasing amount of magnets from the pizza delivery place.
It's a good story about the ups and downs of 7th grade and a super-easy handsell (just show them a random page spread.) It's also pretty funny. I especially like the comics Ginny's older brother draws (guest artist Matthew Holm of Babymouse fame) and the notes from "The Management" aka, Mom.
So, there was a lot of buzz this summer that Holm had a new book coming out, but I was over the moon when it came in at the library and I saw that it was a sequel to Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf!
Ginny's back, this time tackling 8th grade and there are some MUCH BIGGER things happening this year. At the beginning of the book, the family is moving to a bigger house. Then Mom gets pregnant, Ginny tries out for cheer and gets a boyfriend. But after Mom quits her job to be a stay-at-home mom and Bob gets laid off and the baby comes really early and Ginny's grades start slipping...
I have two minor complaints--
1. WE WANT MORE GRANDPA JOE! You can never have enough Grandpa Joe. He's the nice old guy who sends you money for things your mom says you can't have-- everyone's dream grandpa. Also, very funny. MORE GRANDPA JOE.
2. It's not as long as the first one. Now, Holm doesn't short the story, it didn't have to be longer, BUT. I can't get enough of Ginny and her family (and that's the thing-- even those these books about Ginny and it's mostly her stuff, you really get to know and care about the rest of the family) and so I just want MORE MORE MORE MORE. (Yes, I'm greedy.)
A nice bonus on this one? There's a LOT of YA book love. And it's pretty subtle. Books that Ginny's reading (mostly about vampires) are part of the background and they're *excellent* choices. They're all great books that teens actually read on their own for fun. (Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith! Also, Babymouse Mad Scientist.;) ) Also, her English teacher ROCKS. They have to read classics and contemporary and he chooses AWESOME contemporary titles (Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins!) So yeah, good book love that's super subtle.
Another awesome bonus-- Ginny's romance. NO DRAMA. It's pretty awesome that way. Also, they're so nerdy together and aren't self-conscious about that. It's super-nice to see a romantic subplot without angst and drama.
With the BIG STUFF going on in this one, it's a bit heavier than the first one, but I really hope this isn't the last we've seen of Ginny.
Also, MAJOR MAJOR props to Elicia Castaldi. So much of this series is the design. A bad design would have killed the story. But this design is SO GOOD and it makes the story. It adds SO MUCH. And it just works SO WELL.
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 10/9/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: books in stuff week, Juvenile, Avi, Fiction, Add a tag
Lest we think that "books in stuff" is a new narrative technique, let's turn to a classic-- one I read when *I* was a tween.
Phillip is a high school freshman whose English grads are keeping him off the track team. Phil's convinced it's because his English teacher hates him. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact he doesn't try and disrupts class all the time. Trying to get transferred out of her homeroom, Phil hums along with the morning announcements playing of The National Anthem. Unfortunately, the rules state that students must stand as "silent and respectful attention" and so he's sent to the office. Given a pattern of behavior it escalates quickly. When his next door neighbor finds out, he uses it as part of his local election campaign and it quickly spirals into a national issue and no one's lives will be the same.
Told in memos, script-style dialogue, journal entries, speeches, newspaper articles, letters, phone messages, etc. The reader gets to see many sides of this story and draw their own conclusions about what really happened and who was at fault. Because of the documentary format, we also have much more information that any of the characters. We know why they do what they do, but we also know why their read of the situation is so incorrect. (And when it comes to why Phil's failing English, we get his teacher's true feelings on him, but also his answers to test questions.) Avi does a wonderful job of showing us the situtation through Phil's eyes (both in his journal entries and conversations with friends) but also how other people see the situation (conversations teachers have, the teacher's letters to her sister) but also some completely unbiased evidence (the test answer in question.)
I really liked this book when I first read it (when it first came out in 1991) and love it even more as an adult. (Partly because of life experience, partly because of the way politics and the news works today, it's just become more and more believable.)
It's heartbreaking and Phil is so infuriating (not as much as his father though. UGH HIS DAD.) This is a perfect book discussion book because there's so much there and so much in real life to tie it into.
There's a reason why it was a Newbery Honor. THere's a reason why it's still in print and still assigned reading in many schools.
Book Provided by... my local library for this rereading, but originally my parents bought it for me as part of my book order. Mmmmm... book order. I really miss book order. I can't wait until the Kung Fu Princess gets her book orders... They still do book orders, right?!
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 1/22/2013
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Kirsten Miller, kiki strike, Juvenile, Fiction, Add a tag
First off, I need to offer a great big THANK YOU to all that is good in the universe for FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY giving us another Kiki Strike book. IT HAS BEEN FOREVER.
And, has the wait been worth it? Oh yes, yes it has.
Kiki is off to Pokrovia to claim her crown and renounce it, officially supporting the democracy that has sprung up. When she leaves, she leaves Ananka in charge of the Irregulars.
In New York, Ananka and Betty stumble across the L'Institut Beauregard, a finishing school for New York's finest families. Ananka is already aware of them--every year they turn more of her classmates in zombies, completely draining them of their interesting personalities.
Meanwhile, Kiki doesn't make it to Pokrovia-- she's been kidnapped in Paris, but happens to meet two interesting young men with very extensive knowledge of the catacombs. While Amelia Beauregard takes Betty to Paris to help investigate a mystery from WWII, and Kiki and her friends are investigating more recent disappearances, the Irregulars at home are figuring out why Oona's been banned from every shop in Chinatown and trying to defeat an evil pharmaceutical company. Of course, there's still that bit about Kiki's kidnapping and Pokrovia's future as a democratic nation.
I love, love, love how Betty really comes into her own in this one. None of the other irregulars really trust her, because she's the nicest of them. But when she's in Paris, she's more or less on her own and has to prove what she's made of, and she has to decide how she does it. It's really well done. Actually, there's a lot in this one about the dynamics of the group and their relationships with one another. It's been so long since the last one, I can't remember if that's normal or not. All I know is that I love it.
I also loved the exploration of another city's underground. I loved the change in location and mysteries and secrets of the Paris catacombs (which, unlike the underground city that the Irregulars frequent in New York, is actually real.) I also like how much takes place in the catacombs that the tourists don't get to see.
The history buff in my appreciates that the older mystery was just as important as the recent ones-- it's never too late to solve a mystery.
I am not sure how I feel about the cover redesign (they're rereleasing the others as well in the new style).
Fans will not be dissapointed. I can only hope/pray/wish that there is more, and it is coming soon.
ARC Provided by... a friend, who knows how much I love Kiki. (THANK YOU DAVID!!!)
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By: Jennie,
on 3/12/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: nonfiction monday, Cybils, ancient history, Juvenile, Nonfiction, Eric H. Cline, Jill Rubalcaba, Add a tag
Hollywood's portrayals of archaeologists, such as the classic Indiana Jones, are about as close to the truth as Mickey Mouse is to a real mouse. Yet Hollywood may have gotten something right in their swashbuckling adventures. Sometimes the fantastical details of a legend really do stir adventurers into action.
Thus begins this interesting look at the legend of Troy, the people who tried to find it, what they discovered, and how archaeological practice has changed over time.
Heinrich Schliemann wanted to be remembered, and what better way to ensure your play in history than by discovering Troy and proving Homer a historian as well as poet? Unfortunately, his way of doing archaeology destroyed a lot. But, in 1870, he started digging up Troy. The site is a layer of cities, built up at different times, and Schliemann bulldozed his way down to where he thought Homer's Troy lay. Ever since then, scholars have followed in his footsteps, sifting through the mess he made, finding the different layers, and arguing over which layer was Homer's Troy and how much of The Iliad is true, how much metaphor, how much legend and flight of fancy.
Rubalcaba and Cline do a great job of explaining changing practices, findings, and conclusions as they trace the history of Troy and of scholarship done on Troy, starting with Schliemann. I especially appreciated how they made each scholar's case for why a different layer of Troy was Homer's. There's excellent use of Grecian urn art as illustrations in the sections explaining Homer's story, and photographs and maps illustrating the sections on archaeology and modern findings.
There's not much here to interest fans of Greek myth or the ancient world, but there is a lot here for fans of archaeology and discovery.
Be sure to check out today's Nonfiction Monday Roundup over at Rasco from RIF!
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 3/20/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Juvenile, Hilary McKay, Casson family, Fiction, Add a tag
These were the four girls who were best friends:
Alison … hates everyone.
Ruby is clever.
Beth. Perfect.
Caddy, the bravest of the brave.
(‘Mostly because of spiders,’ said Caddy.)
This book takes place before Saffy's Angel, the summer and fall when Caddy is twelve. Caddy knows all about the genie that spins the globe on his finger and turns your world upside down. The genie struck when Indigo was born. The genie struck with Saffy showed up. The genie struck when Dad moved to London. But the genie is stuffed in the bottle and won't strike again. Everything will stay this way forever. With Indy and Saffy and Alison and Ruby and Beth. (Even Saffy knows that all the best stories begin AlisonRubyanBethanme...)
But of course, when you're 12, nothing stays the same for Alison (who may be moving to the other side of the world) Ruby (who is so clever that she's been offered a spot at a special school away from Alison and Beth and Caddy ) Beth (who is growing up and out so quickly she's too big for her pony and will do everything she can to make it stop) and Caddy (who is so terrified of the genie, she may have completely forgotten that her mother is pregnant.)
And then the Firework Baby (so-called because it was due on Guy Fawkes day, November 5) comes so very early (September 25) and Eve has to spend all of her time at the hospital and Bill's moved back to take care of the house.
Oh, the Casson family. Caddy's still... Caddy, and we see where and why and how she starts rescuing animals. Saffy and Indigo are hilarious as younger children. And you guys... picture the Casson kids with Bill in charge and Eve out of the way. Just... think about it. It's hilarious.
These books just make me happy. Even when I'm aching for the characters (and I loved the additions of Alison and Ruby and Beth.) This one focuses less on the family and more on Caddy's friends, who is who she takes refuge with when everything (once again) falls apart at home. I liked this honest look at how hard it is to live in that house, sometimes. And, as much as I love her, Rose has dominated the last few books and she can't talk in this one, yet. So, while she's a pretty major plot point, she doesn't steal the scene in the same way.
Love love love love love love love.
If you haven't read these books yet, get yourself a copy of Saffy's Angel NOW. I'll wait.
A note on the cover-- ew. I bought the Kindle version (which was released in the US in December, the US print version comes out today) and this was the cover that came attached:
2 Comments on Caddy's World, last added: 3/20/2012
By: Jennie,
on 4/2/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: nonfiction monday, Cybils, Tanya Lloyd Kyi, Juvenile, Nonfiction, Add a tag
I'm not familiar with the other books in the 50 Questions series, but this book makes me want to check the rest of them out.
This book has everything for high reader appeal-- gross out factor, easy to browse, funny illustrations, and good information.
Each chapter has several questions on a topic (such as bugs, or environmental disasters) with information answering the question, quick "foul facts" and some other related sidebars and pages. At the end of each chapter, it describes a hypothetical situation and using the information you just learned, you can guess the poison and how it was delivered.
I really like that it covered more than just natural poisons. Yes, lots on spiders and snakes and plants, but also poison gas, terrorism, and chemical spills. It does a great job of exploring some dark areas without getting too dark. It also covers large areas of time-- everything from poisons in the ancient world to modern environmental spills and the Tokyo sarin gas attack.
It's a fascinating and fun book that grosses you out without freaking you out.
Rasco from RIF is hosting today's Nonfiction Monday round-up. Be sure to check it out!
Book Provided by... the publisher, for Cybils consideration
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 4/3/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Juvenile, Tom Angleberger, Fiction, Add a tag
When Lenny's best friend buys a suit and a fake moustache for that "man about town" look, everything goes wrong. The Heidelberg Handlebar #7 has special powers and Casper (or, as he's now known, Fako Mustacho) becomes an evil mastermind. He robs banks for billions of dollars and rigs a presidential election. Only Lenny isn't hypnotized by the power of the mustache. But, with the help of Jodie O'Rodeo, a former TV Cowgirl sensation, they might just be able to save the world.
As you can probably tell from the plot description, this one is wackier, siller and more of a tall tale than the Origami Yoda books. As such, it wasn't really my cup of tea BUT it's one that middle graders will eat up. I liked the fact that Jodie O'Rodeo did all her own stunts, just not her own singing. I also like that both Lenny and Jodie narrate this one, but they don't alternate chapters--it's more or less in thirds. I also liked the crazy things invented by he Heidelberg Novelty Company.
ARC Provided by... the publisher, at ALA.
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 4/9/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: nonfiction monday, Cybils, holocaust, Juvenile, Nonfiction, Add a tag
The Terezin ghetto was a holding center for Jews on their way east to Auschwitz. Terezin remains a bit of a “special case” in the historical record of concentration camps. There was a propaganda workshop here and many of the slave artists stole supplies and created an alternate visual record of their reality. These works were hidden and survived the war. Terezin was also used for a propaganda film to show the world that it was a model village where the Jews lived normal lives.
Thomson lets the residents of Terezin tell their own tale. Each page spread has a different subject, in roughly chronological order. There is a paragraph or two of introduction, then quotations from the people who were there, as well as large illustrations-- either photographs or the surviving work of the artists.
The design is crisp and clean.
The problem in the this approach is that it ends up a bit detached. The lack of overall narrative and the brief introductions don’t provide enough context and, as with many remembrances of extremely traumatic events, the quotations tend to be factual and unemotional. As such, the book doesn’t give a true sense of the scope and the horror of what happened, or what was different about Terezin.
It needed more to put these voices into context.
Today's Nonfiction Monday round up is over at Ana's NonFiction Blog. Be sure to check it out!
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 4/17/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: joseph delaney, Last Apprentice, Juvenile, series, Fiction, Add a tag
Now I am ready--ready to kill. Ready to kill them all. I have become the mother of death. She trots at my heels, hanging onto my skirt, giggling with glee, leaving wet footprints of red blood on the green grass. Can you hear her laughter? Listen for it in the cries of my victims. p 372
For the ninth book in the Last Apprentice series (not counting the companion novels) we get a change of narrator.
Tom only appears briefly in this tale, as this book follows Grimmalkin. At the end of Rage of the Fallen, Tom had sliced off the Fiend's head. Grimalkin took it to keep it safe, and so we follow her as the Fiend's allies (including a terrifying new creature) hunt her down.
Lots of adventure, lots of death, less blathering on about right and wrong and shades of gray.
A different apprentice, too, this time, Grimalkin's apprentice.
I missed Tom, the Spook, and Alice, but I loved Grimalkin's voice. I think giving her a book to carry the plot forward really helps keep the series fresh. I loved seeing how she saw the world and her job. I loved learning her backstory, but it was often woven into the narrative a bit clumsily. On the other hand, we get a lot of background information on witches, witch-lore, and witch politics without the usual info-dump by Gregory or Alice.
This is one of my favorite books in the series.
I need to reread it as a final copy though. While there was A LOT of white space and notes of art to come, only the opening pages were illustrated. I didn't realize how much Patarick Aeeasmith's work really adds to the overall feeling of this series until it was missing. It was like a giant hole in my reading experience.
Some worship dark gods, others serve the light;
but I walk alone.
I am Grimalkin p 156
*All quotations are from the ARC and therefore are not final
ARC Provided by... the publisher, at ALA
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 4/24/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: dumplings, Juvenile, Taiwan, Grace Lin, Fiction, Add a tag
Pacy and her family are off to Taiwan for the summer. Pacy and her sisters are NOT looking forward to it. When they get there, it's hard. Everything is new and overwhelming. They don't speak the language and can't read signs. At home, they were the only Asian family and could feel out of place. In Taiwan they look like everyone else, but still don't fit. Through it all, Pacy learns more about straddling two cultures and gains appreciation for what her parents must have gone through when they moved to the US.
I'm a big fan of all of Grace Lin's works and this is a great addition to her largely autobiographical Pacy series. The tone is light and often funny and the sprinkled in simple line drawings add a lot to the text.
But this book proves that Lin and I should be friends because she goes to Taiwan AND SHE EATS ALL THE DUMPLINGS. Pacy looooooooooooooooooooooooves dumplings and orders them at almost every meal. By doing this, she eats a lot of different kinds of dumplings. I got SO HUNGRY reading this book. Good thing Mala Tang has several dumpling options for me to choose from.
But really, I mean, last time I went to China, Dan and I had the following conversation:
Me: EAT ALL THE DUMPLINGS.
Dan: Ha ha. Seriously though, what do you want to see while we're there?
Me: Seriously. I want to see places that serve dumplings.
I ate so many dumplings on that trip. Here's a picture of me eating xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) in Shanghai. That steamer used to be full. I did NOT share with Dan. In the book, Lin's relatives tell her that if you can eat soup dumplings without spilling, you're a true Chinese. I'm not about to claim that I'm Chinese, but I don't spill my dumplings.
So, as Pacy is obviously a girl after my own heart, of course I love her. (Now I want more dumplings...)
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 4/30/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: nonfiction monday, Salem Witch, Juvenile, Nonfiction, Rosalyn Schanzer, Add a tag
GUYS! How did this NOT get nominated for the Cybils?! It was a Sibert Honor and totally deserving. It should have been a Cybils book. As a community (myself included) we totally dropped the ball on this one. It wasn't even nominated. WTF?!
Schanzer writes a fascinating account of the Salem witch trials and does an excellent job of putting the frenzy and fear into context. It's gripping and terrifying. Schanzer managers a real sense of immediacy that really makes you feel the fear going through this town. Here's what I love-- often when they talk about the fear of Salem, it seems like everyone was afraid of being falsely accused. Schanzer shows us that many people were actually afraid of being attacked by witches, because it seems like anyone and everyone could be and was a witch.
Even though I knew the story and the people and the facts and the legends, this book broke my heart in a way nothing else about Salem ever has. Schanzer tells us the how, and gives us some possibilities for the why, but the why has been lost over the centuries.
Also, the design is amazing. Schanzer has illustrated the book with pictures done in Ampersand Scratchboard, meant to mimic 17th century woodcuts. Throughout the book, red accents and details are used to great effect.
Plus, end notes! And an author's note! My only reservation is that there isn't a lot of context given for relations with the Native Americans. This is taking place against the backdrop of the Second Indian War and "Indian" is the term used throughout. There are several raids by Native forces in the book (one of the possible explanations is post-traumatic stress as many of the initial accusers witnessed their parents and other family members murdered during raids.) Now, this isn't a major focus of the book so it didn't need to dwell, but a sentence or two saying why these raids were happening and what the war was about would have gone a long way.
Overall though, a really strong book.
Be sure to check out the Nonfiction Monday round-up over at Gathering Books!
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 5/30/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Annika Thor, WWII, Jewish, Juvenile, Batchelder, translation, historical fiction, Fiction, Add a tag
In this sequel to A Faraway Island, Stephie is on the mainland, studying at school and lodging with Soderbergs. Unfortunately, the Soderbergs aren't as warm as Stephie expected. She's to eat her meals in the kitchen and once Mrs. Soderberg keeps her from going back to the island one weekend because she's throwing a big party. Stephie's excited to attend, until she discovers that she's to be hired help, not a guest.
The one highlight of the Soderberg home is Sven, on whom Stephie quickly develops a crush (oh, such a painful storyline to read.)
In addition, on the mainland, Stephie learns that the Nazi threat grows ever closer and even though Sweden is a neutral country, there are more than a few Nazi sympathizers. And, of course, letters from home show how desperate the situation is getting for her parents-- for modern readers who know what the truth ends up being about the fate of some many European Jews, it is heartbreaking to read, and rage-inducing to read the reactions of the Swedish adults Stephie tries to get to help her family.
There are four books in this series and I cannot wait for the next two to come out in the US. Sadly, there was a two-year lag between the first and second one. Maybe they'll speed up the publication cycle because the first two have both won awards? I don't want to wait until 2015 to see how it all turns out!!!
Book Provided by... my local library
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
By: Jennie,
on 5/31/2012
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Juvenile, Fiction, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Add a tag
Carley's step-father put her and her mother in the hospital. Before her mother regains consciousness, Carley is released into the foster care system. She's placed with the Murphys, a picture-perfect family. They're too good to be true and Carley keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop. But, slowly and gradually, they worm their way into Carley's heart and Carley worms into theirs. But what's going to happen when her mom gets better and she has to leave?
I started reading this, thinking I'd get a few chapters in before bed and ended up reading the entire thing in one sitting. I loved it. First and foremost, I adored Carley's voice. She uses a lot of sarcasm to keep people at arm's length but she's really funny. Even her interior monologue has this cutting wit that we tend to see more in YA fiction than middle grade (but still totally age appropriate.) The chapter titles, especially, were a nice touch. The Murphys were pretty dang perfect, but even then we see that fostering a child is a personal crusade of Mrs. Murphy and her husband and oldest son need some time coming around to Carley. But it's so nice to read about a positive foster care experience. There's this very bittersweet feel to the entire book-- the ending's a bit messy (in the best way).
I love how slowly Carley opens up. In a lot of books, something happens and suddenly the protagonist drops all of her anger and fear and relationships are perfect. Carley doesn't immediately warm to the Murphys and it's slooooooooooooooooow and happens one family member at the time, and for every two steps forwards, there's a step back. It is just so well done.
I was not expecting to love this book as much as I do. Even though I know she's fictional, I'm going to be rooting for Carley to make it for a long time to come.
ARC Provided by... the author, for review consideration
Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.
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Did you happen to see the author's recent I.N.K. post about the enhanced version of this book? This book is perfect for the e-format because of all the available footage! Here's a link to the blog post:
http://inkrethink.blogspot.com/2013/03/welcome-to-wild-world-of-enhanced-e.html
Happy Nonfiction Monday!
Loree Burns
www.loreeburns.com
Looks cool! One of the images I use for a poem starter when I visit schools is a picture of one of the Rovers. Kids are really fascinated by these.