A few highlights

I was tempted to post my entire anthology, as a pdf, but decided it was too much...so I am only highlighting some of it here.

Margolin, Phillip and Rome, Ami Margolin. Vanishing Acts. NY: Harper. 2011.

The main character is the daughter of an attorney; she follows her dad’s case that involves her former 2nd grade teacher, who is missing and might have been murdered. In addition, her best friend has gone missing..so she is trying to solve 2 mysteries. Great debut for a series.

Avi. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. NY: Harper Trophy. 1990

Charlotte makes a cross Atlantic voyage on a ship filled with perils. Great narrative to understand how a character changes over the course of time, due to a variety of events, experiences, and encounters with both villains and heroes.

Schanzer, Rosalyn. Witches The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem. DC: National Geographic. 2011.

An account of what happened in Salem, that led to the witch trials. Discusses the major players and how mass hysteria played a role.

Book tie in: The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

Buzbee, Lewis. Bridge of Time. NY: Fiewel and Friends. 2012.

2 students end up meeting Mark Twain after traveling through time. There are a variety of experiences and views of San Francisco at different time periods; the most pertinent being how Chinese Americans were treated in the late 1800’s. Twain at one point discusses the Mississippi River, and alludes to eddys and rough waters…discussing how an eddy gives you time to pause and reflect, and rough waters you have to just survive for a bit.

Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Mighty Miss Malone. NY: Random House. 2012.

A great tie in with Curtis’ Bud, Not Buddy. Deza Malone is a strong female character, who is living during the Great Depression. A strong family love is highlighted, as well as a strong desire to be educated. She discusses how some teachers (in Michigan) feel she can’t learn simply because she is black. One teacher (in Indiana) sees how bright she is, and encourages her.

Schmidt, Gary. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. NY: Clarion Books. 2004.
I was unaware of the history of Malaga Island, and it was a fascinating but disturbing read. It is beautifully told, primarily from Turner’s point of view, but the novel can be used to highlight a variety of view points. Just as Turner’s dad asked him to read the same book, night after night, but each time using a different character’s point of view, a student could do the same..in order to understand, perhaps, the town leader’s views.

Boyce, Frank Cottrell. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again. MA: Candlewick Press. 2011.

A fun engaging book, for students who enjoy funny adventures. Chitty Chitty is brought back to life, and the new family that builds her, experiences many exciting adventures. (I read the original, by Ian Fleming as well...very different from the movie; you should check it out!).

Schmidt, Gary. Trouble. NY: Clarion Books. 2008.

A compelling look at grief and forgiveness. Characters are believable and well developed. Could tie in with Romeo and Juliet..in keeping secrets from parents, and loving someone you think they might not approve of.

Avi. The Traitors’ Gate. NY: Atheneum Books. 2007.

Another wonderful novel by Avi; a mix of mystery and historical fiction centering on a young boy’s attempts to get his father out of debtor’s prison (while determining if his dad is a good person or not). Ties in beautifully with David Copperfield.

Avi. Ragweed. NY: Harper Collins. 2000.
The prequel to Poppy/the Poppy series. Ragweed leaves home to see the world. The first few pages were very touching, since my oldest had just left on his own adventure. Ragweed assists some city mice who have been dealing with cats who have terrorized them. Some great characters, that are well developed. The city mice all have names associated with cars: Clutch, Blinker, Dipstick etc. Connects with all of the other books in the series, six in all. I am not posting synopsis of each book in the series, but do recommend the entire series.

Ray, Michelle. Falling For Hamlet. NY: Hatchette Book Group. 2011.
A modern day retelling of Hamlet, told from Ophelia’s point of view. Ending is different, as are other aspects, but it is written in a very engaging manner. Told from various time perspectives: flashback, present day via an Oprah Winfrey type of story, and a bit of background from police procedurals. Ties in with Hamlet by Shakespeare.

Horowitz, Anthony. The House of Silk. NY: Hatchette Book Group. 2011.
A new Sherlock Holmes mystery, written by Horowitz (the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate chose him). Set internationally, covering Boston as well as London Watson and Holmes discover what The House of Silk is, and what implications it might have for the world.

Fletcher, Ralph. Flying Solo. NY: Houghton Mifflin. 1998.
A substitute doesn’t show up, and the class decides not to inform the school. Deals with themes of grief and loss in a beautiful manner, that seems realistic. Nice character development, and the interactions between the students seems real.

Green, John. The Fault in our Stars. NY: Dutton Books. 2012.
Two young adults dealing with cancer meet, and support each other throughout their ordeal. Somewhat realistically told (certainly the horrors of treatment) but I found the characters’ dialog somewhat unbelievable…a bit too sitcom for me, in parts.

Krosoczka, Jarrett. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. NY: Alfred Knopf. 2009.
The lunch lady is secretly a super-hero, and saves the school from a villainous substitute. A very fun series, especially for reluctant readers.

Nobleman, Marc Tyler. Boys of Steel. The Creators of Superman. NY: Alfred Knopf. 2008.
Tells the true story of the previously uncredited creators of Superman. Shows how research can be interesting, if you pick a topic you love

Avi. City of Orphans. NY: Antheneum Books. 2011.
Historical fiction combined with a mystery. The main charcter, Maks, must prove his sister innocent of a crime. He is a “newsie” selling on street corners. Interesting historical facts intertwine with a great fictional story.

Absence

I have neglected this site for many months now, and hope to write in a more routine fashion.
The last week of June I attended a wonderful Children's Literature Conference...but ended up burnt out on writing reviews due to the assignment given us. We needed to read 65 YA books, and create an annotated bibliography (and include instructional strategies). I should have simply posted many of the books here, but I didn't.
Since then, while I have certainly continued reading, expressing my opinion about each book became a low priority.
I am going to include some of those titles, in mini-reviews here, and then will write in a more orderly, full-fashion.