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Rating: 4/5 Stars Genre: Contemporary/Novel in Verse Release Date: 3/5/2013 Add to Goodreads
About the Book: Sam is excited for his special fishing day with dad-that is until his annoying little sister Lucy comes along.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I love novels in verse and Gone Fishing is a perfect introduction to the format for young tweens. I think that while this could easily fit into the tween category, it might be the younger side of the tweens who are perfect for this one. Sam seems about eight or nine in the book.
The poems have different narrators from Sam, Lucy and Dad but it's mostly Sam that we hear from throughout. He's having a rough day having his sister tag along and he's not catching any fish. The author does a great job expressing Sam's emotions throughout with his annoyance and frustration about his trip and then also his excitement and change of heart when things start to go well.
What I really loved was how the author used various forms of poetry for each poem which are listed at the beginning of each poem. At the end of the book there is an extensive glossary with information on how to write the various forms, poetic techniques like alliteration and imagery, and a nice bibliography for readers wanting more information about poetry. Each page is also illustrated with adorable black and white illustrations. I especially love the illustrations of a proud Sam with fish.
Gone Fishing is fun to read and also a great teaching tool about poetry.
Book Pairings:Technically It's Not My Fault by John Grandits, Summerhouse Time by Eileen Spinelli
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from finished copy checked out from my local library
8 Comments on Tween Tuesday: Gone Fishing by Tamera Will Wissinger, last added: 4/27/2013
Very cute review. I am not a fan of books in verse, but kid's poems are always more fun and the differing POVs sound nice. Here's my Tween Tuesday: The Menagerie
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We discussed Love that Dog for the April book club meeting. It sounds like this book would be a great one for next April, especially because of all the different types of poems. I'll definitely add it to my TBR list!
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Please welcome debut author Clare M. Caterer to GreenBeanTeenQueen! She's currently on her blog tour to celebrate the release of her middle grade debut, The Key and the Flame. I asked Clare to share her thoughts on libraries!
Thanks so much to Sarah for letting GreenBeanTeenQueen host a stop on my blog tour! Sarah asked me to talk some library love, so I’m paying homage to two special libraries I know.
New York is a tough town to hang out in all by yourself. I knew no one, had no job, and the culture shock was extreme, though I never admitted it at the time. Still, I knew I needed to find a home base, somewhere I could feel like myself.
So of course I went to the library.
Even my cocky, I’ll-conquer-the-world attitude was humbled by this library. You know the one I mean: that grand, yawning building guarded by stone lions and opening into glorious, chandeliered interiors.
Photo 1
It’s not a cozy place with armchairs and reading nooks. It’s intimidating. But that’s what I loved: I walked into it and felt small, just like I did when I was a kid in my small-town library, feeling the awe-inspiring weight of all those unread books. Despite its churchlike literary opulence, the NYPL was home. It held amazing secrets in its dusty back rooms full of ancient manuscripts. I could find anything there. I could hold in my hands letters written by a World War I doughboy to his girl back home. One entire room was devoted just to maps, for God’s sake.
Photo 2
And like an alcoholic set loose on Bourbon Street, I marveled that another library was right down the block—the smaller, friendlier Mid-Manhattan Library. Here I could take home Jane Austen and Stephen King for free. All the books I’d been forced to leave behind in Kansas were here waiting for me in hushed rooms shielded from harsh voices and honking taxicabs.
When I was swindled out of $200, when I was grinned at by gin-soaked men, when I wondered what I was doing in New York and why I didn’t go home, I wandered into the NYPL to feel that familiar weight of more books than I could ever read. I didn’t need to go back to Kansas City. I had my own chair under the window at the library. It was right there in the fiction section of the children’s room, where I could curl up, pull down a copy of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and know that I’d come home.
photo credits from top: 1. NYPL exterior by Ken Thomas (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons; 2. NYPL Maps Division by GK tramrunner229 (own work), reusable under GFDL orCC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; 3. NYPL, Mid-Manhattan branch, by Beyond My Ken (own work), reusable under GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
I really think that Clare and I are kindred spirits! We both moved to big cities after college (although I went to Chicago) from the same Midwest town and both found refuge and comfort in the library! What a wonderful story!
About The Key and The Flame: Holly wants an adventure. So when her family travels to England, Holly is sure that an adventure awaits. When they arrive, the elderly caretaker of their cottage gives Holly a gift-a key. Holly soon discovers this key is no ordinary key, but has the ability to unlock another world where magic is outlawed and Holly is mistaken for an adept-one who practices magic and must be hunted. When her brother Ben and friend Everett are kidnapped by a ruthless king, Holly must discover the magic within herself to have the adventure she's been waiting for!
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Ok, first off, big props to the Simon & Schuster marketing team for creating an awesome cover. I was reading this book in bed one evening when Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan (who is notoriously picky about his books) picked this one and said "that looks interesting and it has a great cover!" So anytime you can get him to pick up a book, extra points from me!
The Key and the Flame is an epic adventure that tween readers of fantasy will love. With echoes of Narnia, tweens will love the fantastical worlds, creatures and medieval setting that Holly, Ben and Everett find themselves in. The story started off a bit slowly for my taste, but once it got going and the trio found themselves in a magical world, the plot picked up and the adventure was non-stop. There is a full cast of characters that awaits readers and the story is full of magical surprises.
If you have tween readers who are wanting the next fantasy series to get hooked on, give them The Key and the Flame for a nice blend of magic, friendship, and history.
Book Pairings:The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from finished copy sent by the publisher for review
1 Comments on Tween Tuesday: The Key and the Flame by Clare M. Caterer Blog Tour, last added: 4/9/2013
Loved hearing about Clare's experiences at the New York libraries. I'd definitely have culture shock if I moved there. Can't wait to read her book. It sounds awesome.
About the Book: The three Barker have just moved to Arizona. Everyone has told them not to go up Superstition Mountain, but when their cat goes missing, the boys have to find her-even if it means hiking up the mountain. When the reach the mountain, they discover three human skulls. With their pesky neighbor Delilah, they decide they are the perfect detectives to find out exactly what is happening on Superstition Mountain.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Missing on Superstition Mountain is nominated for our state book award next year, so I picked up the audiobook. It's a pretty quick read (or listen) only four discs long. The story was cute and engaging and the narrator did a good job with the boys voices, although he did make the youngest brother sound really young and whiny.
I have to say that the boys in this book made me laugh. If I found human skulls while hiking a mountain, I would freak out. But instead, the boys all say "oh cool! Let's solve the mystery!" It's an adventure I think lots of tweens will wish they could go on and solve a cool old mystery of a strange mountain.
Some of the characters were a bit under-developed, but I think that's because this is the start of the series and we were left with some loose ends to uncover in book two. I didn't understand why the librarian was so rude and nosy or why the former historical society guy (can't remember his name) was bit mysterious. Hopefully we find out more in later volumes.
Overall Missing on Superstition Mountain was a fun adventure filled book that had lots of action, mystery, humor and friendship. I think it will be a popular pick on the state list and a great book talk over summer reading.
Book Pairings: On Etruscan Time by Tracy Barrett Middleworld by J & P Voelkel (both for the mystery elements)
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from audiobook CD I checked out from my library
0 Comments on Tween Tuesday: Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach as of 4/2/2013 9:05:00 AM
About the Book: Taylor's life just got turned upside down. She is not made for country living, but her parents have just uprooted her to a small town farm in the middle of nowhere. Now instead of trips to the Mall of America, Taylor is spending her time with sheep, ducks, chickens and goats. As her farm life keeps landing her in one disaster after another and chicken poop, Taylor devises a plan to get her parents to move back to the city where she belongs.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Barn Boot Blues is a cute look at transitions and changing what you've always known. Taylor hates the farm, but it's her moms dream to own animals and a farm, so Taylor isn't going to have an easy time convincing her parents it's time to move. Much to Taylor's surprise, she actually has a talent for living on a farm and learns to spin wool. As she learns about life on the farm readers will learn along with her about what it takes and how strong you can be even when you least expect it.
Barn Boot Blues is a nominee for our state book award list next year and I think the tweens will love it. Taylor's voice is hilarious and charming and her adventures are laugh out loud funny. I also felt this one had a lot of great discussion points to it with Taylor adjusting to a new way of living, making new friends, and learning to be independent and discover her talents. I'm especially interested in how this one will be in book discussions with our tweens because I work in a "big city" (that's not really that big) with many surrounding farms and small towns. I think many of my tweens will relate to Taylor's adventures and while her farm life might not be new to them, it does bring up an interesting look at how those who are not used to small town life look at it on the outside.
I listened to this one on audio and Kate Rudd gives an excellent narration. She really sounds like Taylor and matches her frustration, annoyance and yet her sometimes excitement perfectly. It's a short book but it's lots of fun and I can't wait to share it with my tween readers.
Book Pairings:Horse Camp by Nicole Helget and Nate LeBoutilier
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from final copy I checked out from my local library
0 Comments on Tween Tuesday: Barn Boot Blues by Catherine Friend as of 3/19/2013 9:45:00 AM
About the Book: Anybody can bird watch! All you need is to go outside and look up! This fun quirky book will teach the basics of bird watching, what to look for, and how to get started with a new hobby.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says:Look Up! is a great nonfiction addition to any collection. While the book is short (just over 50 pages), the pages are full of information that will get readers excited about bird-watching. I will admit, I've always thought of bird-watchers as a bit odd-they're those people who have notebooks and binoculars, spend a lot of time outside being very quiet and really love birds. But Annette LeBlanc Cate has managed to make me rethink my ideas of bird-watching and make me, someone who would much rather stay inside with a book than go outside, actually want to venture outdoors and look for birds!
The style of book is part picture book, part comic book, part nonfiction text. There are illustrations on each page and the banter between the birds is hilarious. The illustrations and text also address the reader directly and answer questions they might have about bird-watching as well as giving steps readers can take to learn more about birds in their own backyard. There are lots of details about bird-watching and various types of birds, but not so scientific that the text will turn off readers.The facts about bird-watching are easy to follow, engaging and perfect for budding ornithologists. Really, I can't express how much fun this book is. It's not often that I get this excited about a nonfiction title (nonfiction isn't always my favorite area to read in) but Look Up! was so fun to read I forgot I was reading nonfiction. I think this would be the perfect book to hand a reader who needs to read a nonfiction book but aren't sure what they want to read about or turned off from the idea of trying nonfiction.
You might have to start your own bird-watching club at your library after readers get this one!
Book Pairings: Pair this with Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt and Moonbird by Phillip M. Hoose for a great fiction/nonfiction selection about birds and bird-watching
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from ARC sent by publisher for review
1 Comments on Tween Tuesday Blog Tour: Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard by Annette LeBlanc Cate, last added: 3/12/2013
About the Book: Polly Peabody lives on a magical farm. They grow chocolate rhubarb, it rains every Monday at exactly 1:00, and her best friend is a plant named Harry. When the rain stops, Polly's brother falls ill, and her aunt wants to sell the farm, Polly must figure out a way to save her beloved home.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Drizzle is on our state book list and one of our Chat & Chew book club picks. The kids reviews were mixed on this one and sadly, it was my least favorite of all the books we read for Chat & Chew.
The kids that liked it said it had action, but for me the plot was slow and dragged too much. The book could have been edited down and I lost interest in the story. I liked the magical farm that Polly lived on, but the magic wasn't enough to hold my interest. I felt like the plot went around in circles too much and never got going. The ending was also a bit of a let down after waiting for so long to get the story going.
Some of the tweens enjoyed it and I think it will find readership with tweens who are avid readers and are interested in books that have a touch of magic and a family-centered story. It just wasn't the right book for me.
1 Comments on Tween Tuesday: Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve, last added: 2/19/2013
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Rating: 4/5 Stars Genre: Contemporary Release Date: 3/5/2013 Add to Goodreads About the Book: Everyone in Ruby's town knows that if you make a wish on your birthday and a quarter with your birthday year goes through the statue of Captain Bunning's donut, your wish will come true on Bunning Day. Ruby didn't listen to her grandmother and grandmother recently passed away. Ruby wants to know what it was her grandmother was trying to tell her. Plus Ruby's best friend isn't speaking to her, her new friend is mad at her too, and Ruby's world is spinning out of control. Will her Bunning Day wish help her put everything straight?
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Linda Urban is a tween queen. I've been a fan of her books since her debut with A Crooked Kind of Perfect and Ms. Urban is a master at writing tween voices. She gets right to the heart of a story-you try and not get misty when you read a Linda Urban book.
In The Center of Everything Ms. Urban writes a gentle story of family and friendship. Ruby is in that tween stage of trying to figure friendships out, still believing and hoping in magic, and struggling to discover where and how exactly you fit in. She's not sure how to handle the grief over her grandmother and she's not sure how to talk about it with anyone. The tween voice is perfect and spot on and I think tweens will relate to Ruby.
The entire book takes place over the course of a day but with flashbacks what led up to Ruby's Bunning Day speech. While this is a short novel (maybe it just felt short because of all my YA reading lately!), each character is well developed and the plot moves at a nice pace. I think it would be a wonderful read aloud for families and classrooms and I would love to have a donut celebration like the one in the book!
Ruby is an avid reader and mentions When You Reach Me and A Wrinkle in Time. I think you could easily add The Center of Everything as a readlike for When You Reach Me and I think tweens who enjoy gentle, quiet stories about family and friends will enjoy this book.
Readalikes: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, Shug by Jenny Han, Mimi by John Newman
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from ARC received at ALA.
0 Comments on Tween Tuesday: The Center of Everything by Linda Urban as of 2/12/2013 1:56:00 PM
Since I'm back in the blogging world, I can post Tween Tuesday on a regular basis again-yay! Tween Tuesday is a meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen. Share your Tween Tuesday links below!
About the Book: Fern is in middle school and she feels invisible. She's in the middle of her siblings, her family is busy running the family restaurant, and Fern feels like her family doesn't pay attention to her. Her sister Sarah is taking a gap year before college, her brother Holden is being bullied at school and trying to pretend that everyone doesn't know he's gay, and her youngest brother Charlie is the only one who ever seems to notice Fern. But Charlie can be so annoying and he's always demanding Fern's time and attention. When tragedy strikes the family, Fern feels even more alone and responsible and has to figure out how to help her family heal.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: When I first read this book, I did not like it. And I don't mean that in "I really hated this book and think it's terrible" way but instead in a "I am so mad at the emotional turmoil the author put me through while reading this book" way. This is a family story and it has a sad twist that you think is going one way and it goes completely another and it makes you an emotional wreck.
The more I thought about this book though, the more I appreciated what Jo Knowles wrote. This was a book I couldn't get out of my head. This is a beautiful, emotional look at family in the midst of unspeakable tragedy. It's not a book that is easy to read-there are pages and pages of grief and sad emotion, but it's realistic. It's exactly what real life would be like-there are no magical happy endings or families getting better immediately. This is pure raw emotional that reads exactly like a contemporary novel should-realistically and emotionally true. There are no easy answers in life and there are no easy answers in See You At Harry's which makes the book work so well.
Fern is a great character-she's smart, funny, and has a wonderful tween voice and I think tweens who are searching for where they fit in will relate to her. I also really loved Fern's best friend Ran-he compliments Fern's character in a nice way and I liked his advice to Fern throughout the book. I also liked the storyline with Holden. I felt that Holden's story about coming out was well done and touched on issues of sexuality and bullying in a real way and fit well with the rest of the story. I think what I liked most about this book was that it was a great family story-it's a quiet emotional story about a family that can't help but seem so real you feel as though you really know them.
See You At Harry's is a book to give your readers who want a sad a book-just make sure you give them a box of tissues to go along with it.
Book Pairings:Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LeFleur
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from personal copy
1 Comments on Tween Tuesday: See You At Harry's by Jo Knowles, last added: 2/7/2013
In Missouri, we have a state book award for fourth-sixth grade called the Mark Twain Award. This year my library has partnered with seven area elementary schools for a program we call Chat & Chew. Each month we meet with a group of fourth & fifth graders to talk about a selected book from the Mark Twain list (chat) while the kids eat lunch (chew). It's been a lot of fun and the kids have had lots of great feedback about the books we've read so far. I thought I'd share some real tween comments about the books we've read. You'll see the comments grow as we went on-the more Chat & Chew discussions we had, the more the kids wanted to talk about the books.
-"There's a character in this book that everyone can relate to."
-"I want a teacher like Mr. Terupt."
-"I liked the ending." (spoilers here, so I can't say much-but they all LOVED the ending! :)
-"I hope Mr. Terupt gets a girlfriend in the sequel."
-"Dollar words are interesting."
-Overall the groups loved this book. They were excited it had a sequel, they loved the characters and didn't want to stop talking about this one. I think from the first semester of Chat & Chew meetings, this book was the favorite.
(minor spoiler!)-"The hippo guts were really funny!"
-"I was surprised by who did really did it-I thought it was (fill in the blank of every other character in the story-no one guessed it correctly)
-"Summer was kind of mean-I didn't really like her."-There were lots of mixed reactions to Summer, if she was a good friend or not-this led to lots of great discussion.
-"I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next."
-Obviously, the humor and gross out parts of this one made this one a popular pick.
-"I really liked all the girls." (It was fun to talk about which character we thought we were most like)
-"I loved the colors at the start of each chapter and how they related to what was happening in the story." -"The color names were really cool."
-"It was sad but happy at the same time."/"I liked the mix of happy and sad in the story."
-"I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next in the journal."
-"Helen's journal was the best part-I liked the mystery of the journal."
-"The joke about influenza was really mean." (several of the groups pointed this out which really surprised me that they picked up on it so strongly.)
-"I want a Palace Beautiful of my own!"
-"I loved the ending!"-another one I don't want to spoil, but they all loved the ending and thought it was perfect.
-I thought this one would have mostly tween girl appeal, but all the groups had at least one boy in attendance and they liked the book and weren't turned off by the cover. They all said the best part was the journal and wanting to find out what happened next to Helen and her family.
-"Melody is such a great character! She's so smart and funny!"
-"I was really worried at the part with her sister and wondered why Melody was making so much noise." (They were all very concerned at this point in the book and each group mentioned it multiple times.)
-"Some of Melody's teachers didn't treat her well and babied her."
-"It was sad that no one believed that Melody was smart."
-"The part with the trivia contest made me so mad!!!" (There was a lot of emotion surrounding a certain scene in the book that I won't spoil, but it was great to talk about and hear that the tweens were upset as I was!)
-"In a sequel I think Melody would compete in another trivia contest and show everyone how smart she is."
-"This book made me think about the kids in my school differently and how they're trying to communicate with us."
-"This book made think about standing up to people who are being mean."
-I think Out of My Mind was our second favorite of the semester and it gave us a lot of great discussion. I was really impressed on how thoughtful the discussion was. Each group said it made them think about kids in their school differently and saying hi to them and not being mean.
4 Comments on Tween Tuesday: Feedback from Chat & Chew Book Clubs, last added: 1/17/2013
Love reading the feedback on Out of My Mind. I think it's an incredible look at a character with a disability, and I always love seeing other people reading it!
I just started a grades 4&5 book club at my library...I was super excited to see this post. Great titles I can add to my potential reads list!! Thanks!
The Wright and Wong Mysteries by Melinda Metz and Laura J. Burns were first published in 2005. The books feature two tween detectives who couldn't be more different- B. Orville Wright has Aspberger's Syndrome with a high IQ and great eye for detail where Agatha Wong is able to see the big picture. Together they make a great detective team.
The petition was blocked on our server; ;-( I'll have to look it up at home. But I did find good-condition copies of all four books on the used market - I looked at the reviews and decided we must have this series!
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Thanks for helping us get the word out, Sarah! Melinda (and Laura)
About the Book: It's a book-but there's a hole in it! Sometimes it's an eye, sometimes a face, sometimes a place-use your imagination to discover what's inside!
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I'm in love with Herve Tullet's Press Here which I constantly sing the praises of to my library patrons. So when a co-worker first showed me The Book With a Hole, I was excited to find a picture book that would work great with tweens.
On each page is a different scene-a swimming pool, an animal, a basketball hoop. Sometimes you have to draw things to go behind the hole to complete the scenes. Sometimes you can hold the book up to your face and complete the picture. It's interactive all with imagination which makes it stand out. You get to be part of the story. I can see tweens having a blast with this book and it would be great to share with a group of all ages. I think you could also use this as a fantastic story starter for tweens in English class. Who knew a book with a hole could be so much fun?
1 Comments on Tween Tuesday: The Book With a Hole by Herve Tullet, last added: 9/8/2012
Since I'm in the middle of my Committee Year, I haven't gotten to read as much middle grade as I've wanted. It's never too early to start thinking about the Newbery and I'm curious to know what books have been gaining buzz and what you think will be showing up on Mock Newbery lists this Fall. I have a few that I have my eye on!
YES to all of them!!!!!! I was leaning towards Wonder for the Newbery, but you might be right about where it would fit better. I want want want a book in verse to win and my vote would be for Ivan :)
Nice list. I've read them all but Splendor... Didn't feel the love for May B. the way others seem to be. I liked it enough, but not enough to put it on my own list of contenders.
Wonder does seem to be the book to beat. I agree that the Schneider is a shoo-in, but why not Newbery? It's a teacher's dream book - lots to mine discussion-wise, great way to teach POV, perfect for the Newbery age-range. There's room on the cover for two medals;-)
My list also contains Liar & Spy. I was totally captivated by it. Also, Summer of the Gypsy Moths as an Honor. I did not expect to like it when I heard the premise. No one but Sara Pennypacker could pull that one off.
Brenda-I forgot about those two! I have them on my TBR list. As for Wonder, I think it will have the same fate as Okay for Now-loved by many but alas no award. The story is very fairy-tale perfect and sweet which I think will end up hurting it in the end (again, much like Okay for Now)
I loved May B but 3 Times Lucky was one of those few reads in which I was compelled to pull out a pencil and start underlining some of the lines. Now my copy is all marked up, but I loved the writing. Great pick. I have not had a chance to read the others yet, especially Wonder which I know I SHOULD read.
While all these books look lovely, I do wish that happier, more light-hearted books had a chance in the Newberry . . . and the market in general. When "perfect, fairy-tale endings" hurt a book's chances, I don't know . . . it hurts me a little too.
But that you for offering all these wonderful choices. The novel in verse is one I'd especially like to check out!
I've only read two of these and they were both FABULOUS - Three Times Lucky and Wonder - I actually happened to listen to both of them as well and the audio recordings are both great.
About the Book: "That Gantos Boy" just can't seem to keep out of trouble. After Jack gets grounded all summer, his only respite is to help Miss Volker write up obituaries for the local paper. But summer gets even more exciting when a visit from some Hells Angels, airplane rides, and a mysterious plague all add up into one crazy adventure.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I finally read Dead End In Norvelt as part of my goal to read all the Award Winners. (The books won the Newbery medal in 2012). And honestly, a few weeks later, I'm still a bit unsure what exactly I thought of it.
While the book does have an overall narrative, it struck me more as vingettes throughout Jack's summer. The vingettes tied together but there were times I felt some storylines got dropped a bit because of this style. I wanted to know more about Bunny, more about the Hells Angels, and even more about the plague and mystery.
There is a bit of mystery to the story, but I wouldn't sell it that way. Mostly, it's a historical day-in-the-life sort of fiction with humor (and lots of nose bleeds) added in. And there were a lot of nose bleeds! Some readers I've talked to have had a problem with this part of the story, so I thought it would gross me out a bit, but I was actually OK. (I think if I would have listened to it on audio, it would have been to much, but reading it was OK). But I will say it did get a bit annoying at times though. Tweens that love a bit of gross-out will love it though! The book does have a lot of humor-the picture of old man Mr. Spizz chasing after a group of Hells Angels on his grown up sized tricycle had me laughing out loud!
I'm not sure if this will be a book that has tweens engaged. I kept wondering what tweens would really think of this one. I think there's enough humor to keep them engaged, but the story seems to wander a bit at times that I don't think I would hand it readers who aren't avid readers already. I also think it might work well as a read aloud in class where the students could also learn about Eleanor Roosevelt and the towns like Norvelt that were started to give Americans a start at the "American Dream." The book would tie in very nicely with a lot of history units for elementary and middle school students. I also have to admit that I felt the ending was rushed a bit and didn't wrap up enough for my liking and I wonder if tweens would feel the same way. If you work with that age group, you know how they like things wrapped up nicely!
Overall I enjoyed Dead End In Norvelt and I think it would be a great book to add to a collection-and I highly recommend it for teachers looking for a good historical fiction read. As for tweens, I think some will like it and those tweens that get caught up in the story are sure to enjoy Jack's adventures.
Book Pairings:Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko, Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
Full Disclosure: Reviwed from an e-book copy I purchased
Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme (or somewhat weekly, since my committee work has taken over!) to highlight great reads for tweens. Join the fun, add your link below and discover a new tween read.
About the Book: When Henry decides that he and his friends Riley and Reed are too boring, he comes up with an endless supply of activities that will make them interesting and hopefully break some world records. Henry is the mastermind of the adventures, Reed the recorder, and Riley somehow always ends up being roped into actually participating in the stunts. From biking off a roof, bull riding and trying to solve an old possibly murder mystery, Henry, Riley and Reed are in for some of the craziest adventures they've ever had.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I originally downloaded this audiobook from my library for two reasons: 1) It was narrated by Nick Podehl and 2) It was short. Both were total wins for me. I'm glad I decided to listen to, because while I'm sure it's a fun read, it's hilarious as an audiobook!
Nick Podehl creates various voices for every character which makes listening to this one very fun. I especially loved Riley's voice-somewhat whiny and squeaky and perfectly prepubescent. Every time Riley cried out "Call 911!!!" I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Give this one (book or audio) to tweens wanting a funny book. Henry's ideas get more outrageous and creative as they go on and tweens are sure to be laughing along at each adventure-especially since Riley always somehow ends up in something extremely smelly! A humorous, quick read that is sure to please.
Book Pairings: Project Sweet Life by Brent Hartinger, Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, Alvin Ho Series by Lenore Look
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from audibook I downloaded from my local library
4 Comments on Tween Tuesday: Masters of Diasaster by Gary Paulsen, last added: 7/10/2012
Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight and share great reads for tweens! Join fun, add your link below, and discover a new tween read!
Parents should never stop reading with their kids, which is why I'm so excited about Scholastic's brilliant plan for the summer to keep parents and kids reading together: The Mother-Daughter Book Club!
Start a tradition of reading with your daughter with a Mother-Daughter Book Club! Scholastic’s monthly selections will help you choose books that you and your daughter will enjoy!
The book club launched in May with 4 titles and there will be 2 new featured titles each month. June’s book selections are Whatever After: Fairest of All by Sarah Mlynowski and The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen.
Along with book selections, the Mother-Daughter Book Club website also features discussion questions and snack suggestions for your book club meetings and a monthly Skype sweepstakes where you can enter to win a Skype visit from one of the authors at your next book club meeting. June’s sweepstakes author is Sarah Mlynowski, author of Whatever After: Fairest of All.
So cool, right? I'm featuring this month's titles:
Whatever After: Fairest of All by Sarah Mlynowski: If you have a young tween reader who loves fairy tales, they will love Whatever After. It's the start to a new series about a brother and sister who discover a magic mirror in their basement. They are transported into Snow White's story, only stop Snow White from eating the apple and mess up her future. Can they put the story back together? There's tons of adventure and humor and the story is very fast paced. It also has an ending that leaves it open for more adventures to come. I read this one thinking of all the tweens who come into the library asking for fairy tales and princess stories. I'll be handing this one over for sure!
5 Comments on Tween Tuesday: Scholastic's Mother-Daughter Book Club PLUS Giveaway, last added: 6/12/2012
Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun, share your links below and discover a new tween read!
About the Book: After her stepfather hurts Carley and her mother in a fight, tweleve-year-old Carley has just been told that she is being placed in a foster home until her mother gets better. Carley doesn't belong in the Murphy's foster home-it's too good, too nice, and too affectionate-not for Carley at all. But the Murphy's, especially the kind and caring Mrs. Murphy, slowly are able to break down Carley's walls and Carley is able to help the Murphy family more than she thought.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: If you're looking for a touching and heartwarming read, add this to your summer reading pile now!! I was captivated from the first page and absolutely fell in love with Carley and the Murphy family. The Murphy's are now one of my fictional families that I would love to live with-they're funny, they're caring, and you can't help but want to be part of them.
One for the Murphys is a tender story about foster care and the brief times that foster children have in a foster parents life. There's no easy path for Carley as she still has a mom to go back to-her time in foster care is not indefinite.. I think readers will especially relate to Carley as she keeps questioning if the life she had before was bad because it's different than the one she comes to know with the Murphys and if her mom really loves her.
Instead of coming off as sappy and cheesy and Hallmark perfect, the Murphys come across as real and down to earth. They show Carley another kind of family-not better or worse, but different. I liked that the book never puts one home life above the other-Carley has good and bad in both situations she's known and I think this makes the story even more powerful.
Give this one to readers looking for a great family story that will stick with them. This is one family you won't forget!
Book Pairings: Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff, Freaky Fast Frankie Joe by Lutricia Clifton, Hound Dog True by Linda Urban
3 Comments on Tween Tuesday: One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, last added: 5/29/2012
This sounds like a great read! I like when MG books explore family stuff--that can be really powerful for kids in lots of different home/family situations. I'll have to check it out this summer. :)
Abby (thelupinelibrarian said, on 5/29/2012 10:12:00 AM
The book cover looked so familiar for some reason, and then I realized that the author participated in the Apocalypsies YAmazing Race Blog Hop. Even after reading dozens of blogs, the description for "One for the Murphys" stood out to me, so I guess that's a sign that I should read it soon!
So agree. It's refreshing to see a different type of family situation. I'm sure lots of kids will relate. I really enjoyed this. Thanks for spotlighting it.
Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great middle grade reads for tweens! Join the fun, add your post below and discover a new read!
About the Book: While out biking and hunting for a geocache, Chase comes across a cache with a message inside: WE NE. He's not sure what it means or if it's a joke. So he returns the next day and the message has more: WE NEED FOOD. Chase wants to help and he begins to worry that maybe someone is lost in the desert. When Chase finds two boys that need his help, he's not sure if he should believe all their stories or not. Something about what they're telling him just seems off. Can Chase help the boys? And what exactly is the truth?
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I picked up Hide and Seek because it's on our state book award list for next year. And if your award reading lists are anything like ours, there are always lots of mysteries or sad, depressing books. Yes, the kids like those, but where are the exciting adventure books? I was so glad to see that Hide and Seek fills the need for an exciting adventure story that's a bit mystery, lots of survival and suspense and a great read. I also really liked that the book uses geocaching. My librarian self got excited because this could tie in together with a really nice geocaching program for all ages.
Sure, some of Chase's actions might be goofy. I wanted to tell him to talk to an adult. (He learns at least!) But kids will love the adventure to it all and overlook anything that seems a bit too convenient. I will be recommending this one to tweens looking for a book that has survival themes and I think they'll easily get caught up in Chase's story.
Book Pairings: Kidnapped Series by Gordon Korman, Escape Under the Forever Sky by Eve Yohalem
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from finished copy I checked out from my local library
2 Comments on Tween Tuesday: Hide and Seek by Katy Grant, last added: 5/22/2012
Sounds interesting! I really like Gordon Korman! We've used his books in 4th and 5th grade book discussions and everyone loves them. I'll have to take a look at this one and see if our library has it!
I agree that many books that wind up on the award list seem to be depressing. This one sounds like it would balance out the books based on serious topics.
About the Book: Poor Madeline. All she wants is some new white shoes to attend her school graduation ceremony and accept an award from Prince Charles. It's a very big deal, except her hippie parents don't seem to agree. They're too busy celebrating Luminara. When some foxes need the help of Madeline's code-decoder relative Uncle Runyon, they kidnap Madeline's parents instead, hoping they can lead them to Uncle Runyon's address. Good thing Mrs. and Mrs. have just taken up detective work-all for the fedora, of course. The bunnies are on the case!
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: It's rare that I find a book that appeals to my inner 9-year-old self and my adult self all in one. But that's just what Mr. and Mrs. Bunny-Dectectives Extraordinaire has done.
The satire is hilarious-from mystery novels, to hippie parents, to the long-married Mr. and Mrs. Bunny who have a wonderful banter, there is so much here that will leave adults laughing. But it's not just the adults who will get a kick out of this book. There are plenty of hijinks, silly animals, and twists and turns to delight younger readers. This is a book that made me wish I had a classroom of 4th or 5th graders to read this book aloud to-it's a book that begs to be read by adult and child together.
Mr. and Mrs. Bunny cracked me up. Mrs. Bunny is always changing her hobbies and she decides that Mr. and Mrs. Bunny should become detectives, because detectives get to wear fedoras-perfectly reasonable, right? I loved the banter back and forth between Mr. and Mrs. Bunny-it reminded me a lot of myself and Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan, if we were bunnies, of course. And Madeline is smart (she's read Pride and Prejudice!) and she's the one who ends up telling the adults-human and bunny-what to do. Not in a bossy way, but she just ends up being the logical one. With Madeline leading the quest to find her parents, tween readers will be cheering her on and laughing about the silliness the bunnies find themselves in. Then there's the foxes who are trying to learn English, Madeline's hippie parents, and a marmot who loves garlic bread and really, why aren't you reading this book already??
This one has a nice mix of classic storytelling and satire and it's great for readers of all ages. Add in Sophie Blackall's beautiful illustrations, and you've got a book that you'll want to put on your library shelf right now. Be sure to booktalk this one to your tween readers-and your adult readers!
Book Pairings: The Willoughby's by Lois Lowry, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from copy I checked out from my local library
5 Comments on Tween Tuesday: Mr. and Mrs. Bunny-Detectives Extraordinaire by Polly Horvath, last added: 5/4/2012
I listened to this one on audio (read by the author) and it was just okay for me that way. But I had to go back and look at the art because I felt like I was missing out there.
About the Book: Aldywn is a typical ally cat-trying to find food and running away from the local animal bounty hunter. When Aldywn is running for his life, he ducks into a pet store to escape. But this isn't just any pet store-it's a pet store for familiars, animal companions to wizards. Aldywn doesn't know anything about the wizarding world or magic, so it's just his luck that a young wizard chooses him to be his familiar!
Aldwyn tries to fake his way in his new home and pretends to be a magical cat. When the familiars young wizards are kidnapped, Aldwyn and his new familiar friends must help them before it's too late-and Aldwyn has to decide if he should reveal the truth or not.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I remember when this book first came out and it looked fun, but I'm not the biggest fan of animal fantasy, so I passed on it. I picked up it again for two reasons-1) it's nominated for our state book award and 2) a co-worker's third-grade son said it was the best book he ever read. So with those things pushing me to read The Familiars, I decided to give it a try.
The Familiars is very much The Warriors Series meets Harry Potter. (I was all excited to think of that "meets" line and than realized that Michael Buckley says the same thing on the back of the book-so much for being creative!:) It really is the best way to sell this book to tweens though and I think young fans of both series will enjoy The Familiars.
The Familiars has everything tweens will love-lots of adventure and excitement, humor, good guys versus bad guys, magic, danger, secrets and friendship. It's a non-stop adventure-filled ride and even though the book is long, it's easy to get caught up in the story and it ends up being a very fast paced read. Add in the fact that it's the start to a series, and I think this one will end up being very popular with tweens.
For adults, it's a bit predictable, but it's great for younger readers looking for excitement and adventure and a fun magical series. Since we put this out on our award shelf, it hasn't stayed long! Lots of fun for readers who enjoy magic and animals.
7 Comments on Tween Tuesday: The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, last added: 4/24/2012
The book is also on the IL state award list too. I like those lists because it usually feature books that I wouldn't normally pick up and read. I look forward to reading it. It sounds super cute. :)
About the Book: A group of students are having mixed feelings about starting fifth grade with a new teacher Mr. Terupt. Seven of the students share their stories-the bully, the shy student, the outcast, the smart kid, the one who hates school, the troublemaker, and the new girl. Never did they think they would care about their teacher-or each other. But when a tragedy strikes Mr. Terupt's classroom, the students join together and learn more about each other than Mr. Terupt could ever teach them.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I picked this book up because it's on our state book award list for grades 4-6 (The Mark Twain Award). Sometimes these books can be hit or miss, so I never go into reading the nominated titles with high expectations. Yet sometimes a book comes along that finds the perfect balance of sappy and sweet without being too much of one or the other. And when that happens, that book hits just the right notes and I know it deserves a spot on the list and the tweens that will be reading it that year will love-as will the adult readers.
Becauseof Mr. Terupt takes on a challenging premise-telling the story of a school year in seven different voices. Author Rob Buyea manages to make each story work and each voice is distinct. I never felt as though there was one character I didn't get to know as well as the others-each one is well developed and they all felt like real students to me.
The chapters are short which helps in making this book a fast paced read. I read it in one sitting and finished it quickly and I'm sure many tween readers will find themselves unable to put it down as well. It's not that it's action packed for full of adventure. I felt like I knew these kids, that I was part of their schoolyear and I wanted to find out what happened to them. I cared about each of their stories and I had to keep reading. I'm pleased to find a companion novel coming out later this year-I won't mind another trip back to the classroom with these kids!
Perfect for readers that enjoy quieter, character driven stories that have moments that will make you laugh and cry.
Book Pairings: Love Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur, Hound Dog True by Linda Urban
Full Disclosure: Checked out from my local library
4 Comments on Tween Tuesday: Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea, last added: 4/17/2012
I actually love the sound of this! It sounds like something that I wouldn't hesitate to pick up, but I hadn't heard of it before now. Thanks for introducing me to it, I'll have to check it out.
Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun, add your post below, and help us discover great reads for tweens!
About the Book: Claudette dreams of being a giant slayer. But her village has no threats from giants since a giant slayer years ago. Claudette doesn't believe the stories though and she believes it's her duty to find and slay the giant that lives beyond her city. Along with her best friend Marie (an aspiring princess) and her brother Gaston (a pastry chef in the making), Claudette sets out on a fantastical journey to slay the giant and become a hero-so giants beware!!
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: If your library tweens are anything like mine, they are always asking for the graphic novel series Bone. Giants Beware is the perfect graphic novel to hand over to those readers who like humor mixed into their adventure fantasy. It reminded me of Bone crossed with The Princess Bride with a touch of the adventure from Amulet.
The full color illustrations make this graphic novel fun to read. There is a lot of detail in the artwork, which I always enjoy and I felt as though I really got to know the characters. Claudette is strong and very spunky-she will get her way no matter what! She's a bit selfish and thinks of herself first, but she learns the importance of her friendship with Marie and Gaston along the way. And how could you not love Gaston and Marie? They both have dreams that might seem silly to anyone else, but they fully believe they can make them come true and you can't help but cheer them on. The three together make a delightful group that you would want to tag along with you on any adventure.
The supporting characters all felt fleshed out-from the townsfolk to Claudette and Gaston's father-each character was fully realized, even if they only appeared briefly. In many ways this graphic novel read like an animated film-the illustrations, the jokes, the characters-all could transition easily to the big screen which could make a nice selling point to readers.
Add this one to your graphic novel collection and I'm sure it will fly off your library shelf. While the story wraps up, there are some loose ends that leave a possibility of a sequel (or several) featuring Claudette, Marie and Gaston and I'm really hoping this isn't the last we've seen of them!
Book Pairings:How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell Bone by Jeff Smith, Amulet by Kazu Kabui
3 Comments on Tween Tuesday: Giants Beware! by Jorge Aguiree and Rafael Rosado, last added: 4/10/2012
Tween Tuesday is a meme hosted at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun and add your link below! (And yes, Tween Tuesday posts have been scarce-I'm deep in YA reading now, but I promise I'll post more tween posts in the coming weeks!)
About the Book: Oona is worried about her cat Zook-he's not doing so well and Oona wants to figure out a way to break him out of the vet's office and bring him home. As Oona tries to take care of everything, she tells Fred that cats have nine lives, so they don't need to worry about Zook. Oona decides to make up the stories of Zook's previous lives. Oona always worries about her brother, Fred, who hasn't had the best appetite since their father died two years ago. And on top of that, Oona's mom has started to date The Villain...well, really Dylan-but Oona's sure he's a villain! Oona's determined to find out the truth about Zook's illness, and discover the truth about why her mom shouldn't be interested in The Villain and along the way she may just discover some truths about herself.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Alright fellow readers. Do you ever find yourself in the mood for a charming middle grade novel? One that hits all the right notes when it comes to family and growing up? And that maybe evens has the feel of some of the classics you read as a tween yourself? Add The Five Lives of our Cat Zook into your secret pile when you're looking for that special book.
Oona was a narrator that I liked and she made me laugh a lot. Her observations are smart and funny which made me like her. I also liked how much she took care of brother and taught him to read. She has many different theories about things-a name theory, a whopper theory-and each time Oona revealed a new theory, I liked her even more. She felt like a mix of Claudia (From the Mixed Up Files...) and Anne (Anne of Green Gables). She has some crazy ideas, but that's part of what I liked about her. She was loyal to her friends and family, even if meant coming up with a crazy idea of how to help them. Sure her plans didn't always work, but she had to try!
This is a very sweet book about a cat, siblings, and parents. Oona isn't quite ready for her mom to move on and Oona herself won't stop wearing her Dad's Raiders sweatshirt. While the book is about Zook and Oona's stories about Zook, it's also about grief and learning to live after a loss. Oona's story isn't obvious-we're not hit over the head with lessons that she's learned. Instead, she comes to an understanding slowly and we go through the process with her, which adds to the books charm.
I would recommend this one to readers who like family stories and animal stories and anyone looking for a good old fashioned book. You'll be glad you got to know Oona and Zook!
Book Pairings:Because of Winn-Dixie
3 Comments on Tween Tuesday: The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin, last added: 4/3/2012
About the Book: Poor Boom Broom-he's had a string of bad luck. After a twister swept his mother away, his father refuses to come downstairs and his sister keeps making up illnesses to make sure she can stay home from school. Halvor, the Viking descendant who lives in the Boom's garage, makes Boom eat fish every day. And now Boom has detention which means he's going to miss the kick the ball against the wall tournament at lunchtime. So when Boom has to pick out a fish from the reject fish bucket to take home for dinner since that's all he can afford, he picks out a strange colored fish. Turns out Boom didn't find a fish, but a merbaby-and with it comes the curse of the merfolk. In order to save his sister, Boom must enlist the help of his friends and even some Vikings to return the merbaby to her mother.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: To Catch a Mermaid is a perfect tween read. There is lots of humor and tweens will relate to Boom's bad luck. He often ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time and for all his trying to good, he always finds himself in a sticky situation. Plus, he has these really annoying neighbors that keep trying to take everything away from Boom (including his championship title of kick the ball against the wall). And on top of that, Boom is having to grow up a little too fast-having to take care of his sister and his father since both have checked out since his mother died.
Suzanne Selfors handles all this in a masterful way. The book never gets too sad or sappy, but Boom learns that his family is important (even if they can be a bit annoying at times) and the merbaby helps Myrtle and Mr. Broom with their loss and fear of leaving the house. And as I mentioned, there is lots of humor to the book. The Brooms live on a small island that is filled with a cast of zany characters. From the Viking descendants, to the mean bullying Mumps, to the pet store owner who knows fish have feelings, this book has a lot to leave readers laughing. (And yes, I did love the mention that because Myrtle knows so many facts, she has a future as a reference librarian!)
This is a fun fantasy with lots of heart and I would give it to readers who enjoy a touch of fantastical in their books.
Book Pairings: Savvy by Ingrid Law, 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from copy of the book sent by publisher
1 Comments on Tween Tuesday: To Catch a Mermaid by Suzanne Selfors, last added: 2/17/2012
I'm a tween and yet I've never read that book! Maybe it's from all the time that I've been spending in my library's YA section that I've completely skipped over the tween genre. ;)
About the Book: May has been sent to a neighbor's homestead to help out. It's only for a few months and it's a way her family can earn some extra money. Plus, it's not like she's doing much in school anyway-she's having trouble reading, so why does she need school? The neighbor's new bride isn't liking life on the Kansas prairie and she needs help cooking and cleaning. But when a tragedy leaves May alone as winter approaches, May must rely on her wits to survive.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: May B is a book that appeals to my tween self. If I had read this as a tween, I would have devoured and loved. I was obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder and living on the frontier (of course it was much more glamorous in my mind!) so this book was right up my ally.
May's story is told in verse which packs a powerful punch to May's journey. It works well because for most of the novel, May is alone, trapped in a snowstorm and trying to survive. I tend to not like books with little dialogue and with May on her own for most of the story, there's not a lot of dialogue happening in this book. But the verse format worked well for the story. It shows the seriousness of May's situation-she is alone and trying her best to survive.
I felt May's emotions and related to her more with the verse poetry. Each poem was like a glimpse into her thoughts instead of reading one long passage of her internal narration. I'm probably not describing it very well, but it worked wonderfully to help tell this story!
There's also a storyline that deals with May's dyslexia. May dreams of growing up and becoming a teacher, but she can't read. She's always had trouble in school and she had one teacher who has encouraged her dreams and one who has not. May has a difficult time trying to figure out who to believe and if she should hang onto her dreams of teaching. The nice thing is that her struggle with dyslexia isn't laid out all at once and told to us. We're shown slowly throughout the novel that May is struggling
9 Comments on Tween Tuesday: May B. by Caroline Starr Rose, last added: 1/31/2012
I agree with Juju - can't wait to read this one! I'm excited for the similarities with the Wilder books - I did love historical children's lit as a kid. Great review.
Ok, there are some obvious differences, but whenever I see a review of May B it makes me think of Revolver! And the title makes me think of So B. It! I need to just read it so it can remind me only of itself... especially since you enjoyed it so much!
Aww, I really liked this one, too! I love that she includes May's dyslexia and that May was determined to work hard no matter what. And I agree, I would have eaten this up when I went through my Little House phase. ;)
Cover Love: Not really. I don't think it is very eye catching.
Why I Wanted to Read This: I saw this being compared to The Penderwicks on some blog once. That made me want to pick it up. Here's the synopsis from GoodReads:
School's out! That means Lucy is off to her favorite place: Pierson Point, Maine, where she spends summers with her family. And as she tries to forget her worries about starting middle school and about Dad's new girlfriend, Lucy can't get there soon enough. Pierson Point is where she feels most like herself, and where memories of her mother, who died when Lucy was six, are strong and sacred. But this summer, nothing is the same. Ian, a boy from home in Boston, comes to Pierson Point with his family. Ian is loud, popular, and mean. He and Lucy can't stand each other. To top it off, Dad wants his girlfriend to become a bigger part of Lucy's life. Karen Day's engaging novel shows that people aren't always what they seem, and that friendship can be found in the most unusual places.
I Kept Reading Because: It was quick and I liked the characters.
Romance?: None.
What I Liked (& Didn't): I loved the setting. The tight knit group of summer people made me wish for something like this in my life!
The characters were very realistic. Lucy was a bundle of conflicts: sometimes she was confident and sometimes she was uncertain; sometimes made, sometimes happy. She was like most middle school girls I know. And Ian was so similar. He was two people one around Lucy at the ocean and one around his friends. That sounds like a lot of 11 year old boys I know!
I like these kind of stories, the ones that are just a slice of life. There is not a huge conflict or climax, just events that lead to an understanding from the main character. Whether its something they learn about themselves or a truth about their lives, it just comes through in the context of the story. There is no clean up or huge thing, it just is. Kind of like real life.
I was very glad when Lucy made friends with Ian's mom. It was good that she had someone to tell her a real life story about losing a parent.
This is a definitely a place I would visit again!
To Sum Up: Such a sweet summer time tale with very realistic middle school characters. I will be buying a copy for my library!
Book sent from Random House. Thanks!
3 Comments on Tween Tuesday: A Million Miles from Boston by Karen Day, last added: 12/15/2011
I'm not crazy about the cover either-it looks a bit old. I like the Penderwicks so maybe I'll pick this one up (even if it doesn't really compare, sometimes those slice of life stories are the best!)
Very cute review. I am not a fan of books in verse, but kid's poems are always more fun and the differing POVs sound nice. Here's my Tween Tuesday: The Menagerie
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Great pick for Poetry Month!
I love novels in verse-I think because I can read them fast! :) I really liked the different POVs in this one.
That's what I thought too Abby! It would be great to use as an intro to poetry.
way better than i ever expected!!!
We discussed Love that Dog for the April book club meeting. It sounds like this book would be a great one for next April, especially because of all the different types of poems. I'll definitely add it to my TBR list!
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