Book Reviews©copyright Frederick Muller 2009 |
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This is not your typical Sachar book. In it a boy is falsely accused and convicted of a crime. He is sent to a work camp in the desert where the boys dig holes all day long. We later find out the warden is looking for a treasure buried in the desert. Two boys escape, have to survive in the desert, come back and find the treasure. They eventually get released from this work camp by through a strange series of events. This is a strange book. I purchased this 233 page book because it was on a list of possible Newbery books for this year. I hope not!
Sachar, Louis. Small Steps. Delacorte, 2005 [0-385-73314-3]
It is two years after "Holes" and Armpit has settled down with a job and saving money. One day one of his buddies from Green Lake, X-Ray, shows up with an investment opportunity. With Armpit's money X-Ray plans to buy 12 tickets to a hot concert coming to town and make a killing scalping them. Well the plan works out until X-Ray pulls a scam on Armpit so armpit can take someone to the concert. That starts a big mess where Armpit nearly gets arrested but is saved by the pop singer at the concert. Of course they fall in love. Because of the trouble with the ticket scalping at the concert the mayor wants to track down the trouble-makers. What will happen to Armpit and X-Ray? Can the relationship between Armpit and the pop singer outlast the trouble? Although this 257 book is not really a sequel to Holes, it does follow-up on some of the characters
Sachs, Marilyn. Surprise party, 1998
Gen and her trouble-making younger brother , Ernest decide to throw a surprise party for their parent's 25th wedding anniversary. Gen just wanted a small party but it keeps getting bigger and bigger. Meanwhile Ernest is constantly getting in trouble in school. Also, Gen and Ernest decide to call their grandmother who their mother hasn't spoken to in 25 years. This 254 page book is a fun story with several plots running through it.
Sagan, Carl. Contact, 1985.
I just finished this 434 page book with very dense type. Since I did not see the movie, I cannot compare the book to it. Carl Sagan is VERY wordy! He gets into describing minor things to the plot much more deeply than needed. Almost half of the book could have been cut out without hurting the story. After saying that, I must say that the ending was great and left me feeling good about life and the universe. This book will have very limited use in my middle school but there are some good readers who will pick it up and there will be others who will pick it up just because of the movie. I am glad I selected it at our book fair.
St. Jean, Alan. Aidan of Oren: the journey begins. Moo Press, 2004 [0-9724853-5-x]
When Aiden turns 13 he slowly realizes that he is the hero that the old legends speak of. With the blessing of his Grandmother, he heads off with two friends to find the elves who will know how to find the guardians and together they will be able to end the war of their world. This 206 page book is an exciting adventure story with delightful illustrations. The writing has many short sentences and I feel is more appropriate for upper elementary than for middle school. It is the first of a trilogy. While a part of the epic journey is completed in this book... the reader will want to move on to the rest of the books which are not published yet.
Salisbury, Graham. Lord of the deep. Laurel-Leaf, 2003 [0-440-22911-1]
Mikey lives with his mom and his step-dad, Bill, who he greatly admires. He is now 13 and can go out with Bill on his charter boat. Bill is known as the best charter boat skipper on the islands. The first trip Mikey goes on Bill has two high-roller clients who want to catch big fish. Mikey sees how his beloved step father is treated by these high-paying clients. Can teenager Mikey understand what the pressures luring more clients lead Bill to do? This 182 page book explores youthful idealism and how it may clash with honesty, reality and money.
Scieszka, Jon. It's all Greek to me [Time Warp Trio]_,Viking, 1999
Here is another is this series which have to be very popular with the hi interest/low level reading group. In this one Joe, Fred, and Sam end up on Mount Olympus in the middle of a feud between the gods and goddess. The book is full of the usual slapstick type humor and in the mean time, the reader will become introduced to Greek Mythology. At the end of the book is a wonderfully informative glossary. I enjoyed this 71 page book, as I have the others in the series, but not as much as some of the others.
Scieszka, Jon. Me oh Maya [Time Warp Trio]. Viking, 2003 [0-670-03629-3]
Our friends, Joe, Sam, and Fred, are playing Basketball when suddenly they are whisked back in to to Mexico in the middle of a ring ball game where the loser is the next human sacrifice. Once again Scieszka takes us back in time in a humorous fasion using wordplay scattered with a bunch of facts. Here the Time Warp Trio has to trick the leader, Kakapupahed (Caca Poopoo Head) to a game which will help them win their time travel book back. This 70 page book (along with the others in the series) is a great high-interest low vocabulary read in which the reader is entertained and even learns something of history.
Sciesaka, Jon. Sam Samurai [Time Warp Trio]. Viking, 2001, [0670-89915-1]
Joe, Sam, and Fred travel back in time (with their magic book) to ancient Japan while preparing for a school report on the subject. There they meet and ancient warlord, their great-grand children once again who are also time traveling, and get involved in writing poetry. While entertaining, I did not find this 85 page book as good as the others in the series. The story was choppy and at times slow.
Scieszka, Jon. See you later, Gladiator [Time Warp Trio series]. Viking, 2000 [0-670-89340-4]
In this further adventure of the Time Warp Trio, their "book" sends them back to gladiator times. They get involved with the games in the Colosseum, gladiators, and the Vestal Virgins. This is another in this fast-pasted, slide-slapping humorous series. Jon Scieszka has his usual fun playing with language as we meet Dorkius, Horridius, and Crazius while romping through Rome. This 69 page book is a short read, as are all the books in the series, but they all are great low level high interest purchases. I especially like Tut, Tut. This is one series where I actually laugh out loud while reading. NOTE: I read a pre-publication copy of this book - it should be available sometime in October of 2000.
Scieszka, Jon. Summer reading is killing me! [Time Warp Trio], 1998
This is another in the funny series of the Time Warp Trio in which they get sent "back" to a library his is inhabited by characters from the books in their summer reading list. At the end they are saved from the evil characters by one character who is a combination of all the boring girl characters. She bores all the evil characters to sleep and the trio has time to escape and save the day. I must say that this is not my favorite of the series which is by far "Tut, Tut." The series (always under 100 pages) is great for reluctant readers. I have students that are always asking when the next one is coming out. As a note: I head Jon Scieszka at a conference and he read the original ending to this book which used only one particular girl character to bore everyone to death. He knew he would have problems getting permission for this - thus the combined character. Too bad though, we were all in tears as he read it.
Scieszka, Jon. Viking it and liking it. [Time Warp Trio] Viking, 2002 [0-670-89918-6]
Once again we return to the Time Warp Trio. Here Joe, Sam, and Fred end up going back into the Viking times and have their usually silly adventures with plays on words and other such things. This 74 page book is not my favorite of the Time Warp series but they are fun, high interest-low level books. There are a few Viking activities at the end of the book if your school studies Vikings.
Schmidt, Gary D. Anson's Way, 1999 [0-395-91529-5] Clarion
Anson's father and grandfathers were Fencibles (British soldiers) and he was excited when he was appointed as a drummer and sent to Ireland to serve with his father in the 18th century. The Irish did not want the British there and there was a very fragile peace until a British Lord's estate is burned and he demands reprisals. Anson has grown up with the honor and duty of a soldier but also sees the struggling of the Irish people. What path will he take --- what will be Anson's way? This 213 page book would be excellent for anyone studying the Irish situation and also as a discussion starter about the conflict between honor and duty.
Schmidt, Gary D. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster boy. Clarion Books, 2004 [0-618-43929-3]
It is 1905 and Turner's dad is a minster who gets a new church in Maine and they move from Boston. Everything is so different. Everyone in town is concerned about how the minster's boy acts. There is a colony of African Americans squatting on an island off their town. Turner meets Lizzie, a girl from the island. This starts a whole stir as the town finds out. Part of his punishment is to play pump organ for a lonely old lady in town. Will Turner do what the town wants him to do? Will Turner's dad follow along with the town? What will happen to the black community? While this 219 page book starts out slowly, various plots and sub plots keep the reader entwined in the story.
Schmidt, Gary D. The Wednesday wars. Clarion, 2007 [978-0-618-72483-3//0-618-72483-4]
Through a quirk in scheduling, Holling Hoodhood, must spend the last period of every Wednesday with Mrs. Baker, who he is sure, is out to get him. She has him read Shakespeare. There are other sub-plots going on.. for one it is 1967 and the Vietnam War is always in the background, he has problems with his brother, the tights he must wear for his part in the Shakespeare play, rats living in the school, and the many other daily traumas a 7th grade boy must deal with. This 264 page book fluctuates between humorous situations to very heavy scenes, providing a lot of variety for the reader. While Holling is dealing with his many challenges, Mrs. Baker is always in the background, providing quiet support.
Scott, Kieran. Brunettes strike back. Speak/Penguin, 2006 [978-0-14-240778-3]
Annisa has moved from New Jersey to Florida and her new HS is also blonde oriented. Now their cheerleading squad is heading to the nationals and are upset that Annisa is the only brunette on the team. Meanwhile Annisa has fallen for Daniel but is not sure how committed to her he is. Of course she maintains contact with her friends from Jersey. Will her relationship with Daniel pan out? Will they win the nationals? How committed is Annisa to her new school and squad. This 249 page follow-up to "I was a non-blonde cheerleader" has all the fun of the first. There appears to be another one coming in this "series."
Scott, Kieran. I was a non-blonde cheerleader. Putnam, 2004 [0-399-24279-1]
Annisa has just moved from New Jersey to Florida to an almost totally blonde HS. The first day he meets a gorgeous boy but also gets on the wrong side of the cheerleaders. Because she was a cheerleader in her previous school, she tries out for the team anyway. Well, there are all kinds of struggles on the team which makes their performance go down. Then there is a prank war with this school and their long-time rival. This prank war gets carried away. This is a fun 246 page book which deals with moving, friendship, peer pressure, and trying to fit in. While there is nothing inappropriate for middle schoolers or upper elementary, it does take place in a High School.
Seabold, Alice. The lovely bones. Little Brown, 2002 [0-316-66634-3]
Fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon tells this story from heaven. It is both a disturbing and hopeful discussion of life-after-death. We find out about her murder and the long process of trying to track down the murderer. The reader learns of the anguish of a family having to deal with the long-term, unsolved mystery of their child's death. This 328 page book is very powerful and I would not recommend it for students below a mature 7th grade. Susie's rape and murder along with other murders are described with enough detail to be disturbing but the bulk of the book dealing with the after life is very uplifting. With these cautions, I must say this is an important book.
Seely, Debra. Grasslands. Holiday House, 2002 [0-8234-1731-X]
Thomas lives with his wealthy grandparents in Virginia but has always longed to live with his father out on the range and follow the "code of the west" being a cowboy. One day he gets a letter from his father inviting him out. He gets to see what a hard life it is. He struggles getting along with his stepmother. One day their cattle stampedes and he, alone, must make some hard decisions about going to bring them back. This 170 page book is a coming of age story which attempts to show the hard life out in the west.
Szelznick, Brian. The invention of Hugo Cabret. Scholastic, 2007 [0-439-81378-5//978-0-439-81378-5
I was reluctant to purchase this Caldecott winner because I was confused about its format but I am glad I did purchase and read it. The book contains a good story, but more so, it is an incredible visual experience. The book’s introduction states, ”I want you to picture yourself sitting in the darkness, like the beginning of a movie.” What follows is a black and white movie in book form. Once the reader gets used to the format, it is a wonderfully unique experience. I fully understand why it won the Caldecott award. Hugo Cabret lives in the Paris train station in 1931 with his father who maintains all the clocks. After his father dies, Hugo tries to keep it a secret, maintaining all the clocks and also continuing to fix the automaton his father had. No only is Hugo mixed up in a mystery concerning this automaton, but also finds and “re-discovers” a director of early silent movies. You must have this book in your library… not only for the story, but for the literary experience which I am sure will be followed and expanded on by other authors.
Shanahan, Lisa. The sweet terrrible, glorious year I truly completely lost it. Delacorte, 2007 [978-0-385-73516-2]
Gemma has an interesting year. Her sister decides to get married to a boy from a military family. They two families are nothing alike... can they ever get along or even understand each other in planning for the wedding or performing the ceremony. Meanwhile Gemma tries out for her HS play, The Tempest by Shakepeare and Raven, a boy from the local thug family also tries out and falls for her. Gemma does not understand Raven, his life, or his family but the play seems to parallel her life and draws the two together. Then after the cast party for the play there is a terrible tragedy in town. Will Gemma ever understand Raven? Can the two families getting married together ever understand each other. Will Gemma blow her cork? I found the first 3/4 of this 297 page book to be confusing.. not worth the struggle and although some things pull together at the end and make sense, my whole response to the books is, "What is the point of the whole thing?" To top it off it is written by an Australian author with many "Austrailaisms" and there is no glossary. Many times there were words, I had no idea what they were. I don't see the point to this book or a reason to put up with the confusion to read it... I nearly didn't finish it.
Shahan, Sherry. Death Mountain. Peachtree, 2005 [1-56145-353-6]
Erin is going to visit her mother who she hasn’t seen in over a year when she loses her bus ticket and ends up pairing up with an unlikely friend in the mountains when they get lost and have to survive on a six-day ordeal. I felt the situation was a little contrived and some of the survival narrative unreal, but it is a good survival-suspense story for the kids who like that kind of genre. This 201 page book is a quick read.. maybe a high-interest type of book for your lower readers in the middle school.
Sheldon, Dyan. The boy of my dreams, 1997
This is a love story. Michelle (called Mike) is out to find the boy of her dreams and does not realize that her best friend (Bone) who she has grown up is really in love with her but can not express it. Her best girl friend, Hope sees the conflict when Mike finds someone she thinks is the boy of her dreams. Hope's talks with her friend, Bone, draws those two together. Only at the end of the book does Mike realize what she has done when she breaks up with the boy of her dreams. Thankfully for the story, she does not end up with Bone, but someone new all together. This 208 page book is a nice love story with a good message.
Sheldon, Dyan. Confessions of a Hollywood star. Candlewick Press, 2006 [978-0-7636-3075-1]
In this follow-up to “Confessions of a teenage drama queen”, Lola has now graduated from High School, happy to finally be away from her competition in HS, Carla. A movie is going to be filmed in town and Carla will do anything to get into it. To top off everything, Carla is going to Europe for the summer (well at least until she hears about the movie.) This 202 page book is a collection of fun adventures as Lola and her friend try to get into the movie and outdo Carla. It reminded me a lot of the Lucy show on television (I know I am showing my age.) It is a fun read.
Sheldon, Dyan. Confessions of a teenage drama queen, 1999 [0-7636-0822-X]
Lola is new to her Dellwood, NJ High School and is an individualist. She doesn't fit into the established groups and doesn't follow what the idol of the school does. It starts out a battle of will between the two. Carla, the idol, had always been the star of the school play and to everyone's surprise and Lola wins the role. Then their favorite rock group announces its break up and its final concert. Of course, both Carla and Lola have to go. This starts off an kind of unrealistic adventure in New York. Finally, the play goes on. Sheldon has her finger on the dynamics of a school and has written a 272 page book with much humor and realism. Myself, having been involved in many school plays, really appreciated the dynamics of what happened between the cast members. The topic of this book would be more appreciated by upper middle and HS students but there is nothing really inappropriate for lower middle school kids.
Sphipton, Paul._Bug Muldoon: The garden of fear._Penguin, 2001 [0-14-230242-2]
Bugs Muldoon is a detective beetle in a garden who is hired by the ants to find out what is happening in the garden. This is a fun story with fully developed bug characters and reminded me of the movies "Antz" and "A bugs life." It seems there is a plot by half of the ants to conspire with the wasps to take over the garden. I nearly was going to send this 138 page book over to our elementary school, but it was so fun, I have decided to keep it. After all, middle school kids need silly stuff too (and so do I.)
Shreve, Susan. Jonah the whale, 1977
Jonah is new to his town and his 6th grade class. He is a little fat so the kids jokingly call him "Jonah the Whale." He wants to be a TV start and imagines himself interviewing stars. One day he decides to walk down to the local TV station and tell them the idea for his show - a kid to kids show called "Jonah the Whale." He set would have his desk inside a huge whale. The TV person says to "send in some tapes." He ends up interviewing Michael Jordan and some other people he discovers from People Magazine on his tapes and , believe it or not, gets the show! This 110 page book is a cute and inspirational story.
Shusterman, Neal. Downsiders, 1999 [0-689-80375-3]
This is the story of two cultures, one the topsiders (people who live in NYC) and the Downsiders (a culture which has been living and evolving deep below the streets of the city since the late 1800s.) The downsiders have a law which prohibits contact with the topsiders -- unfortunately this happens periodically on a small scale, but not until a dump truck falls from the topside into the downsider's world do the cultures come together. This is the story of two children from opposite worlds meeting each other and two cultures we needed to stay apart. It gives credence to the "prime directive" of the Federation in Star Trek -- do not interfere with other cultures. The reader believes that this world beneath the city actually exists. The person who started this downside world in the story is Alfred Ely Beach (a person who actually existed and built a subway under New York in secret -- do an internet search.) This 246 page book can be read on many levels and I really enjoyed it.
Shusterman, Neal. Red Rider's hood. Dutton, 2005 [0-525-47562-1]
Red lives in the inner city and loves riding around the city in his red mustang. Although surrounded by gangs, Red has successfully avoided them until the Wolves mug his grandmother. To defeat them he decides to join them to find their ways. He slowly finds out that they are a gang of werewolves. Red finds a surprising neighborhood werewolf killer and learns ways to kill werewolves but in the process of learning about them, he begins to understand them. When the time for the big battle comes, will Red be able to kill them and can the werewolf hunters trust him? This 181 page book will satisfy the tastes of your vampire and werewolf fans. This is part of the Dark Fusion series but is a complete book on its own.
Shusterman, Neal. The Schwa was here. Dutton 2004 [0-525-47182-0]
Anthony has only a couple of friends at school and one of this is Calvin Schwa. Calvin is one of those people that few people notice... someone who falls in the cracks. Unfortunately it becomes physical and Anthony and Calvin do a series of tests a discover that 4 out of 5 people actually can not see Calvin. This starts a business where people pay Calvin on dares. Unfortunately of the dares gets him and Anthony involved with a crotchety, rich man in town and his granddaughter who just happens to be blind. Both Anthony and Calvin fall for the granddaughter and the competition begins. This 228 page book takes the idea of someone who is not noticed one step further. I enjoyed it thoroughly. What will happen to Calvin?
Singer, Marilyn. The circus Lunicus .Henry Holt, 2000 [0-8050-6268-8]
Solly's stepmother forbids him to go to the circus but gives him an inflatable lizard. The lizard grows and becomes a creature that helps him to get to the circus. At the circus Solly finds a strange ringmaster along with a variety of unusual creatures. What is going on and what does this circus have to do with the death of his mother? This funny 168 page book has lizard space aliens and reminded me a little of Pinkwater's Lizard Music.
Skurzynki, Gloria. Virtual War, 1977
For all you SF fans, be sure to read this one. It takes place in a future world where contamination has all but ended human contact - people live in virtual environments. Three young genetically engineered people have been prepared to fight a virtual war representing their country for the last uncontaminated island. The book covers many though provoking topics and keeps you guessing. This a great SF book approachable for upper 5th and above students.
Sleator, William. The beasties, 1997
Doug and his sister move temporarily to the woods for his father's research but before they move their friend says to stay away from the woods behind the house and logging camps - beware of the beasties. I couldn't put this book down (which was awkward over Christmas) - the tension and excitement keeps building. The kids get involved with creatures that live underground who are dying because the forests are being cut down. It is a tale of body part snatching, survival, inbreeding, and so much more. Doug and his sister end up helping the beasties and Doug makes an incredible sacrifice to help them. This 198 page book is powerful and graphic so I would not recommend it for many 5th grade readers. I have a feeling that this book is going to "take off" like Zindel's Lock and Domestone. Hopefully it will be in paperback soon. The cover is even great!
Sleator, William. The boxes, 1998
This is the story of a girl whose Uncle giver her two large boxes for safekeeping. She is to keep them apart, not to open them, and not let anyone else know about them.. She opens them and finds they contain mechanical creatures and a time clock which has the ability to slow the time of the rest of the world down or of an individual person. She gets involved in an adventure with these items in trying to save her neighborhood from a developer. It is interesting thinking about what happens to others when your time reference changes. While the story ends - it leaves itself wide open to a sequel. This is an interesting story like some of his other strange ones like "The House of Stairs", and "Singularity" but I am not sure I would recommend heartily this 196 page book for everyone. Sleator is intriguing to those who like to ponder unusual concepts - I would like to meet the man.
Sleator, William. The boy who couldn't die. Harry Abrams, 2004 [0-8109-4284-9]
After his best friend Ken dies in a plane crash, Ken decides that he will not die. He goes to a lady who performs black magic on him so he will not die. To test it out he travels to the Caribbean where he swims with sharks. There he meets a girl who understands him and the voodoo magic and convinces him he has to get the spell uncast. Ken realizes that while he sleeps, the lady who cast the spell has control over him and has him kill people. On the trip to recover his soul, they begin an adventure where they run travel to get back Ken's soul and run into other undead people. This is a great suspense tale and also a discussion starter but you must beware that there is discussion of black magic in this 162 page book.
Sleator, William. Boltzmon!, 1999 [0-525-46131-0]
Chris's older sister picks on him viciously. One day he finds this floating eyeball (Boltzmon) who begins taking him back and forth to a parallel world which is also 40 years ahead of this one. Chis finds out that in his sister's teasing will lead to his death in two days. To save himself Boltzmon tells him he has to get to Temples of time in the parallel world. On the way he meets his sister (40 years ahead of him) who has become a sinister, angry woman. At the temple they realize that for his sister to turn out okay and for him to stay alive they must go back to the real world and end their destructive relationship. Students who like time travel and its implications will like this 150 page book. The Boltzman is entertaining.
Smith, Roland. Thunder cave, 1995
A boy's mother dies, he runs away from his stepfather in NYC to his father who is studying elephants in Kenya. There he must survive in the wilds and find his father. While in the wilds, he meets a kind of medicine many who helps him. Finally he gets involved with animal poachers and then saves the day. This is a GREAT story - a bit of adventure, survival, and mystery; never a slow moment. The only weak spot is how a boy could run away, get a Visa, and get to Kenya - the author does explain in but... This does not take away from the book. Be sure to read this 230 page book if you haven't.
Smith, Roland. Sasquatch, 1998
When I initially unpacked this book, I thought it was non-fiction, but it is not. This is a nice twist on people searching after the Sasquatch.. A boy's father sees something while hunting and the father gets involved in a group seeking the Sasquatch along with a mysterious stranger. What is nice in the book is that there are representatives of several factions in the book - the group who wants to capture (or kill) a Sasquatch and the group who wants them left alone. The story ends up on a rumbling Mount St. Helens. This is a great mystery along with the whole story surrounding the Sasquatch. Well worth reading. I purchased this 186 page book because of the reviews.
Smith, Sherri L. Lucy the giant. Delacorte, 2002 [0-385-90031-7]
Lucy is large for her age.. so large she is called "Lucy the Giant." She lives in Alaska with her drunken father. After finding friendship with a dog doesn't work, Lucy runs away, hops on a small play and goes up north pretending to an adult on a commercial crabbing boat in very harsh conditions. The crew and captain become like a family to her but what will happen when one trouble-maker on the boat finds out the truth about Lucy. This is a great adventure story of a kid learning to deal with adversity and a troubled home life. Something many of our students must face. This 217 page book is a great read especially if you can get by the thing of a child being able to pass herself off an adult.. but we have done that before.
Snicket, Lemony. The bad beginning [A series of unfortunate events #1]. HarperCollins, 1999 [0-06-440776-7]
This book is the first in a series concerning the unfortunate events of three children. In this one, their rich parents die in a terrible fire and they are sent to live with a terrible distant relative who tries to figure out a way to acquire the children's fortune which they will not receive until they are 21. This 162 page sad story is told is told is a humorous fashion thus making this book a very enjoyable read. I purchased this book because another middle school librarian told me he can't keep the series on his shelves.
Snicket, Lemony. The reptile room [#2 in A series of Unfortunate events]. Harper Collins, 1999 [0-06-44067-5]
This is book two in the series concerning a family of orphans. At the title suggests, it is a series of unfortunate events but told in a light-hearted way. In this book the orphans are given to a scientist who studies snakes. They are so happy - every thing is wonderful until the scientist hires an assistant who turns out to be an evil person who they know. Suddenly the scientist is dead and the orphans are left to prove who this evil assistant is and that he killed the scientist. This students are loving this series (although I thought the first book was much better than the second one.) This 190 page book is a definite purchase for upper elementary and middle school.
Snicket, Lemony. The wide window [A series of unfortunate events #3] HarperCollins, 2000 [0-06-440768-3]
Once again the Baudelaire orphans are pawned off on a different, distant relative. This time it is Aunt Josephine, a fanatical grammar enthusiast who lives on a hill in a house overlooking a huge lake. And of course, once again Count Olaf appears in disguise and tries to acquire the children for their fortune. As in the other stories, Count Olaf's plan is foiled at the end of the story but he escapes most likely to appear in the next book. This 214 page book is #3 of a series which grows on you. Currently there are eight volumes in the series with an "Unauthorized biography of Lemony Snicket" coming out. The kids eat up these books.
Snicket, Lemony. The miserable mill [A series of unfortunate events #4]. HarperCollins, 2000 [0-06-440769-1]
This is the most bizarre of this series of strange stories. Here the children end up working at a lumber mill where they once again meet up with Count Olaf. The owner of the mill who is their new guardian, can never been seen because his head is always in a cloud of cigar smoke. There is something about this series that the reader has to love. Once kids start it, they keep wanting more. I liked this 194 page book the least of the series so far.
Snicket, Lemony.The Austere Academy [A series of unfortunate events #5] ._HarperCollins, 2000 [0-06-440863-9]
In this continuing tale of these unfortunate orphans they end up in a strange private school which is run by an unusual head master who thinks he is a concert violinist. Soon after the orphans arrive the school gets a new gym teacher -- could it be..... This 221 page book is another of this series which kids are just soaking up.
Snicket, Lemony. The ersatz elevator [A series of unfortunate events #6] .HarperCollins, 2001 [0-06-4440864-7]
In this sixth of the "Series of Unfortunate events" the Baudelaire children are adopted by some rich relatives who live their life by what is in and what isn't in. Right now orphans are in - so they take in the children. Although they live in an 84 story building, elevators are not in so everyone must walk up and down. They of course run into the terrible Count Olaf while they are searching to their friends, the Quagmire triplets who were kidnapped in the last book. Of course the non-functioning elevator plays a part in this 259 page book. This series has a way of hooking the reader.
Snicket, Lemony. The vile village [A series of unfortunate events #7]. HarperCollins, 2001 [0-06-440865-5]
In this 7th installment of this series the Baudelaire children are farmed out to a village (ie. it takes a village to raise a child.) The village is overrun with crows and also has thousands of unusual rules. The children are assigned to do chores for everyone in the town and they begin to find little pieces of paper with couplets written on them by on of the Quagmire triplets. In this 256 page book the orphans must try to find and rescue the Quagmires while trying to stay away from Count Olaf and the weird people who live in this town. This is one of the better ones in the series.
Snicket, Lemony. The hostile hospital [# 8 in a Series of Unfortunate Events], HarperCollins, 2001 [0-06-440866-3]
After running away from the vile village in the last book, the Baudelaire orphans find themselves in another strange town at Heimlich Hospital. The are still in search of the Quagmire triplets. Of course they run into Count Olaf and his cohorts again. The end of this 254 page book has the orphans hiding in the trunk of a car, being driven out of town. While the first six books in this series are complete stories in themselves, books, 7,8, and it appears 9 are very much linked to each other and must be read in order.
Snicket, Lemony. Carnivorous Carnival [ A series of unfortunate events #9]. HarperCollins, 2002 [0-06-441012-9]
In this ninth book in the series, the Baudelaire orphans end up in the Caligari Carnival along with their enemy, Count Olaf and they have to disguise themselves as freaks so they can hide with the carnival freaks from him. To increase business Count Olaf decides to have some lions eat one of the freaks each day. Mean while the orphans find out more information about their parents. Will they get sent to the lions? Will Count Olaf discover who they are? Can they escape? This 286 page book leads the reader right into the next book.
Snicket, Lemony. The Slippery Slope [A series of unfortunate events #10]. HarperCollins, 2003 [0-06-441013-7]
In this 10th book of the series we continue on with the tales of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire as they struggle again Count Olaf. Here we have Count Olaf and his henchmen (or henchpeople) at top of a high mountain, having captured Sunny. Violet and Klaus are still trying to locate the Quagmire triplets while trying to find more information about their parents death, the VFD, and the "last safe place." This 337 page book is once again fresh and entertaining, full of work plays. If you haven't purchased these books for your upper elementary through Jr. High students, they are missing out! I can't believe they haven't asked for them. The only negative this I can mention about this book is that from book 8 on.. the books are not complete stories as the first 7 were.. these last few leave you hanging on a cliff for the next installment.
Snicket, Lemony. The Grim Grotto [A series of unfortunate events #11]. HarperCollins, 2004 [0-06-441014-5]
Well.. as the Baudelaire orphans are floating down Stricken Stream away from Count Olaf they come upon a submarine being driven by Captain Widdershins. He has been looking for them and offers to take them to find the last sugar bowl which they establish is at the Green Grotto. Of course once there they run into problems along with Count Olaf. I don't know whether I am getting tired of this series or not, but this 323 page book seems to have more of the usual silly explanations and sidetracks than the previous 10 books. Nevertheless, the kids flock to this series.
Snicket, Lemony. The penultimate peril [A series of unfortunate events #12]. HarperCollins, 2005 [0-06-441015-3]
We are now on book #12 and I am officially tired of this series! It looks like it will end with #13. This adventure takes the orphans go to Hotel Denoument where they can spy on the villains in concierge disguises. The hotel is arranged according to the Dewey Decimal system. For example educators go to room 371 and Indians are in 954. Here the Baudelaire orphans run into many characters from the previous books and of course Count Olaf appears. This 353 page book was a good recap of all the characters in the previous books before the (hopefully) last and 13th volume.
Snicket, Lemony. The end [A series of unfortunate events #13]. Harper Collins, 2006 [0-06-441016-1/978-0-06-441016-8]
The series finally comes to an end with a book that ties a lot of the loose ends together. It starts with the orphans and Count Olaf stranded at sea in a boat. They end up on an island with a group of castaways with many strange customs. Their leader is Ishmael (who keeps saying "Call me Ish" - an interesting twist on the opening line of Moby Dick.) I don't want to ruin the book so I will not say much more other than in this 324 page book, a lot of questions are answered and at least one major character dies. This series has gotten tiring lately and I am glad it ended with a satisfying way.
Snyder, Zilpha Keatley. Gib rides home. Yearling, 1998 [0-440-41257-9]
It is the early 1900's and this book opens with eleven-year-old Gib being returned to an orphanage. He then starts remembering his earlier times in the orphanage. The reader is left in the dark to much of Gib's history and he doesn't know it either. It makes the book a kind of mystery. One day at the orphanage someone comes to pick him up and take him back to a ranch where people know him. Things begin to look familiar to him. Life on this ranch is much better than that in the orphanage but he is now a farm hand working for a troubled family. I hated for this 246 page book to end after getting so wrapped up in Gib's life - even though the end was a little predictable.
Snyder, Zilpha Keatley. The ghosts of Rathburn Park. Delacorte, 2002 [0-385-90064-3]
Matt and his family move to a new town. Near the park, deep in the woods is the old town, burnt down. All that is left is the old mansion called "The Palace" by the local residents. Just the last of the Rathburn family lives there, an elderly lady. One day Matt wanders into the woods and meets a young girl dressed in old clothes. Could she be a ghost? She has the same name as the elderly lady in the house. What about that dog that keeps appearing out of nowhere? In this 182 page book, not only does the reader deal with the possibility of ghosts, but also tension in the family with Matt's brother and sister. A good read.
Sonnenblick, Jordan. Drums, girls & dangerous pie. DayBue Publishing, 2004 [0-9668940-9-x]
This is the tale of a middle school boy, Steven, his 5 year-old brother, Jeffrey and their parents. Jeffrey is an enjoyable kid (reminded me of J. Blume's Fudge) and the brothers obviously love each other. Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia. Now the family has to learn to deal with this upset to their family life. Meanwhile Steven likes two girls at school and is a star drummer for his school band. This 182 page book is the story of a family becoming closer through an illness. Throughout the book the love between the two bothers is felt. NOTE: I read a prepub copy which was sent to me my the author (expected pub date of June 2004)
Spinelli, Jerry. Loser. HarperTrophy, 2002. [0-06-054074-5]
Donald was excited on his first day of school in first grade. His enthusiasm for school continues through fifth grade in the book. He loves to laugh, is clumsy, and loves words and word play. Most of the kids at school call him a loser, but his family always supports him in whatever he does. In this 218 page book Jerry Spinelli really gets into the head of Donald. The reader experiences the joy, excitement, and disappointment so growing up. This is a fun book to read about a strange kid who get undivided support from his family.
Spinelli, Jerry. Milkweed. Knopf, 2003 [0-375-81374-8]
Spinelli has told a story of the horrors of the Holocaust and life in the Warsaw ghetto through the eyes of a young innocent gypsy boy. There is no judgement, just a young boy, not understanding, but learning to survive. This 209 page book show the cruelty and harshness of the time but not in an inappropriate fashion. The reader is in the mind of the child who is just living. The only criticism I have of the book is the last 10 percent which covers the narrators life after he leaves the ghetto and grows up in American and has a grand child. I did not feel this flash of his later life was needed.
Spinelli, Jerry. Stargirl. Knopf, 2000 [0-679-88637-0]
When Stargirl enters Mica High everyone knows she has arrived. She is her own person, a individual. She is so kind to everyone and a free spirit. At first the whole school just kind of puts up with her, next they go wild about her and try to imitate her. Finally they all turn on her. Through all this Stargirl and Leo fall in love. He convinces her to be more "normal" which she does for him but goes back to being Stargirl. When the whole school turns on her and shuns her, Leo is tossed as to who he wants more, Stargirl or his classmates. No matter what anyone does to her, Stargirl is always kind. Before she leaves, something memorable happens. This 186 page book is very special. It is about individuality, popularity, and kindness. It has a kind of folklore feeling like Maniac McGee and I hope it wins some awards. This is a "must read."
Spinelli, Jerry. Love, Stargirl. Knopf, 2007 [978-0-375-81375-7]
At the start of this book Stargirl and her family have moved from Arizona to Pennsylvania, leaving everything behind her, including Leo. This 274 page book is written in a form of a letter to Leo about her experiences in this new town. She does not attend HS because she is home schooled. In the course of this story (or letter) she gets to know a crazy little girl, a troubled girl who is struggling with growing up, an delightful agoraphobic lady who has not left her house in 6 year and a mysterious young man who doesn't attend school much. This boy has a lot of Maniac Magee in him. Throughout the year of this story, Stargirl is making a solar calendar which will finish on the winter solstice. Both Stargirl and the people in this small town will be forever changed by the presence of Stargirl. Will she fall in love with this mysterious young man... or will her feelings for Leo hold strong?
Spinelli, Jerry. Wringer, 1997
I am glad that this book did not win the Newbery because everyone would have then run out and purchased it without knowing the story. The book is powerful - I had a very strong emotional response to it (a testament to Spinelli) but I do not feel it is for everyone. The idea of a whole town being wrapped up in a cruel event and people feeling they can't speak out against it, is scary. I have even heard it likened to the Holocaust (not that I agree with that.) The book is incredibly powerful and well written, just be careful with it.
Springer, Nancy. I am Mordred, 1998
I was excited when I got this book - another dimension added to the King Arthur story, filling out information about Mordred. Maybe I did not concentrate enough while reading, but I found the book confusing because it is full of whimsy and magic. Maybe that is what attracted others to it. The story is wonderful and the ending grabs you. I also felt it could have used a glossary. I purchased this 184 page book because of reviews.
Springer, Nancy. Looking for Jamie Bridger, 1995
I started reading this book with low expectations but wow, was I wrong. It is the story of a girl raised by her grandparents. They would never tell her anything about her parents or anyone else in the family. The grandfather, the domineering one in the family, dies and the grandmother withdraws into a shell. It is up to Jamie to figure out her family and find them. The last half of the book is a roller coaster of emotions as she finds bits of information and finally the whole story. It is only 159 pages but I don't think it would interest kids in the 5th grade. The book would be great for high interest reading.
Springer, Nancy. Toughing it, 1994
Tuff and his brother re riding their bike through the woods when suddenly thee is a boom and they are both lying in the grass. Dillon is dead! This is the touching story of a boy learning to deal with death, his family history, and his newly found possible father. Is revenge the answer? The caring new father helps him to see things differently. While this book is only 119 pages it is definitely for older readers (mature 6th grade and up.) This is the kind of book you wish would have won an award.
Stanley, Diane. Bella at midnight. HarperCollins, 2006 0-06-077573-4//978-0-06-077573-5]
Bella's mother dies in childbirth. Her father who doesn't want to deal with children sends her off to be raised by peasants. Bella is not to be told she is royal. After several plot twists, Bella ends up saving the country from a terrible war. This 278 page book is a great story with a girl main character saving the day (if you can get past trying to call it "Stella by starlight.") She does save the day (or night) at midnight in the starlight.
Starmer, Aaron. DWEEB. Random House, 2009 [978-0-385-73705-0] Advanced reader’s copy
Denton, Wendell, Eddie, Elijah,and Bijay, all nerds, have noticed strange things happening at their Junior HS – everyone’s personality is changing. Besides these unusual happenings, the whole school is tense in expectation of the coming Idaho tests. One day the Vice Principal frames these kids and locks them in the basement of the school making them promise to study and get high scores on the test. This “team” begins to realize something strange is happening… and it has something to do with burgers. Will they solve the mystery? Who can they trust. This 229 page book is a silly adventure in an implausible situation. There are definitely some funny spots in the book but overall, I did not enjoy the book. I am sure kids will pick it up because of the title but the nerdy kids who are the heroes of the may not be for the audience for which the book is aimed. It will be interesting to hear the comments of the kids who read it. This is an advanced reader’s copy with an expected release in October 2009.
Stead, Rebecca. When you reach me. Wendy Lamb/Random House, 2009 [978-0385-73742-5]
It is the 1970's and a twelve-year-old girl helps prepare her mom to appear on the show, $20,000 Pyramid. The girl starts getting mysterious notes from someone who appears to know what will happen in the future. Meanwhile her best childhood friend gets up by a strange neighborhood boy and suddenly they are no longer best of friends. Then there is a strange homeless man on the street which she tries to avoid every day on the way home from school. This 197 page book multi-dimensional book which actually centers around time travel. It is not your usual, "hop in a time machine" type book but a sophisticated discussion of time travel and its implications. I am not sure what the audience is for this book. I was not enthused while reading it but everything kind of wrapped up nicely at the end. Kids will read it because it won the Newbery Medal but will they like it? We will see.
Stewart, Paul & Chris Riddell._Stormchaser [The edge chronicles #2] David Fickling Books, 2004 [0-385-75070-6]
Once again Stewart and Riddle take us into their well crafted and imaginative fantasy world. A couple of years have passed and Twig is now part of his father's sky pirate crew. No on the ship knows Twig is the Captain's son. When they go on a dangerous mission, the Captain refuses to let his son on board but of course he finds a way on board. This starts a big adventure after a shipwreck and Twig must help lead out some of the crew. Each of these books are complete books but are tied together. In book one the reader learned about this fascinating world. In the 385 page book two the first part of the real adventure starts as Twig matures. Your fantasy readers will love this series and it will introduce new readers to the genre.
Stewart, Paul & Chris Riddell._ Midnight over Sanctaphrax [The Edge Chronicles #3]. David Fickling, 2004 [0-385-75072-2]
Book three of this series starts out with Captain Twig sailing over the edge and into the vortex of the Mother storm to locate his father. He finds his father just before the the storm destroys his ship and sends his eight crew members flying all to various places on the Edge. Twig lands in a daze and is taken to Sanctaphrax where he is nursed to health and finally goes out on a long adventure to locate his crew. Will he and his new friend find all his crew? Will they come back to Sanctaphrax to save The Edge? In this third book of 362 pages the reader returns to this fantastical world and all its spectacular creatures. So far each book in the series is a complete story, yet leads you on to the next one. NOTE: If you already have this book, check the page order. The first edition had some page problems (I noticed it between page 226 and 229.) The publisher is aware of it.
Stewart, Paul & Chris Riddell.The curse of the Gloamglozer [The Edge Chronicles #4]. David Fickling Books, 2005 [0-385-75076-5]
In book four we flash back to before book one in the series (kind of like Star Wars.) Here we meet Quint who is apprenticed to the Most High Academe of Sanctaphrax. It is interesting learning some of the history and politics of this mysterious floating world. Although they don't mention it, I assume that Quint will turn out to be the father of Twig (from books 1-3.) This 370 page book is a wonderful fantasy series which will hook the readers once they start. Although a series, each book is a complete story. I am always delighted by the wonderfully detailed illustrations.
Stewart, Paul & Chris Riddell. The last of the Sky Pirates [Edge Chronicles #5]. David Fickling, 2005
We return to the world of the Edge about 50 years after the last book. Now the academics are driven underground and live the sewers with their huge library. Periodically they choose a group of Knight elect librarians to go out to the Deepwoods and study an aspect of life there to write their thesis. It is a surprise to everyone when Rook was one of the three chosen this time. He and his two other partners take a long journey through many perils involving many interesting characters to reach the Deepwoods where they struggle to survive and write their thesis. While there Rook runs into the last of the Sky Pirates and gets involved in his adventure. This 369 page book is full of adventure, excitement, and interesting creatures as the previous books. It carries on the series while branching out into another story line, thus keeping it fresh.
Stewart, Paul & Chris Riddell. Vox [Edge Chronicles #6] David Fickling, 2003 [0-385-75080-3]
Rook is now a Librarian and is on patrol over Undertown when his craft crashes. He nearly gets kills by a creature when he is saved by his old friend Chris. On his way back to the Great Library in the sewers, Rook gets captured and becomes a slave. When the great storm arrives, Chris plots with Vox on a way to save the Great Library and get rid of the bad tribes of Undertown. If you are already into this series (and you should be) this 384 page book will hook you like a fish. The books are full of imaginative creatures, incredibly illustrated. The only unfortunate aspect to this series is that they are not being written in chronological order of the story.
Stewart, Paul and Chris Riddell. Freeglader [Edge Chronicles #7]. David Fickling, 2006 [0-385-75082-x]
After the disaster in Undertown, Rook leads the librarians (with the remains of the library) and the rest of the refugees from Undertown to a new home in the Free Glades. On the way they are viciously attacked.by the shrykes. The survivors of this attack trek to the Free Glades where they start to set up a new home and build a new library. When partially settled, they are attacked again, this time by the Goblin nations with their terrible killing machines. Can they survive? This 402 page book is full of killing, death, and blood. It is not a cute and friendly as the other books but it still has the wonderful illustrations. At the end of the book is a family tree which shows the relationship of various characters from Linus Pallitax to Twig and Rook.
Stewart, Paul and Chris Riddell. The Winter Knights [The Edge Chronicles #8]. David Fickling Books, 2007 [978-0-375-83741-8]
Quit (the son of a sky pirate) has been accepted as a student in Knight's Academy. This story takes place almost entirely on the floating rock of Sanctaphrax. For some reason Edgeworld has been plagued by bitter cold and snow storms which is causing havoc with the buoyancy of the floating rock city. There are all kinds of plans to keep the rock afloat, but the ruling Academic begins ruling with an iron fist. There is a great deal of political intrigue as various factions struggle to gain control and save Sanctaphrax. This all ends up with the sudden poisoning of the ruling Academic and following bloody civil war. Although I love this series, this 377 page book is not my favorite. There is so much political intrigue and many unusual and similar names of the participants, that I was frequently confused. For those of you who are concerned about this, the civil war is very bloody. Another thing that bothered me was that after this vicious civil war, suddenly everyone is all happy again as they clean up the body. No hard feelings? Although it is not my favorite of the series I am sure its fans will gobble up this book too, along with its continuing incredible illustrations.
Stewart, Paul and Chris Riddell. Clash of the Sky Galleons [Edge Chronicles #9]. David Fickling, 2007 [978-0-375-83742-5]
Quint's father, the great Sky Pirate goes out on a mission to find and kill the person who burnt his estate, thus killing his whole family. The leagues have been planning for years to get rid of the sky pirates and when Quint and his father are away with his crew, the leagues make their final plans. This 412 page book ends with the big battle. Will the Wind Jackal (Quint's father) kill his enemy? Who will win the massive sky batter between the sky pirates and the leagues? Will Quint have to forget his studies and spend the rest of his life as a sky pirate? This is what appears to be a great wrap-up of the series (although it is not stated as such.) There is an epilogue at the end of the book which follows up on things years later which makes me think this is the end of this series. This series is an interesting and creative group of stories that has thoroughly engages a group of my students. I just LOVE the illustrations.
Stone. Tiger [The five ancestors #1] Yearling, 2006 [0-375-83072-3]
Before the Cangzhen Temple is destroyed, the grandmaster teaches his five youngest and promising students one of several different fighting styles. This first book follows Tiger after the master is killed on his wanderings into the forest. Here he must defend a real tiger and end up being captured by the people of a village. This first 196 page book is the beginning of a series for upper elementary students. I purchased it because on of my better readers saw it in the book club at school. He read book 1 and 2 so far and has not asked for book 3.
Strasser, Todd. Boot camp. Simon & Schuster, 2007 [978-1-4169-0848-7 // 1-4169-0848-X]
After continually dating his teacher, Garret is sent to a “boot camp” to learn to obey his parents. The campers are isolated from their family and the rest of the world and given extremely harsh treatment. They are beaten, put in isolation, and treated incredibly harsh. This 238 book makes “Holes” look like a walk in the park. It shows the terrible reality of these types of training camps that actually exist today. There is a bibliography at the end of the book. I do not recommend this book for elementary students. What made it especially scary to me was that it is based on how some of these camps are actually run.
Strasser, Todd. Close call. Putnam, 1999 [0-399-23134-X]
Ian and his eleven-year-old friends want to play baseball after school as usual but lately Jenny has been so argumentative, playing as been difficult. Things are not helped by her old brother and his HS friends, throwing rocks at them while they play. Ian's parents suggest something might be happening at Jenny's home and of course they are correct. There is a family crisis going on which is causing Jenny to eventually have to stop playing with the gang. Ian and his friends figure out what is happening and try to help. This 118 page book is very predictable but could be a good lead-in for a problem-solving discussion.
Strasser, Todd. CON-fidence. Holiday House, 2002 [0-8234-1394-2]
Lauren sits every day in the cafeteria with her friend Tara but she watches the center of the cafeteria where Krista and her "Don't-you-wish-you-were-me" friends. Then one day Celeste moves to town and is able to make friends with Lauren and the DYWYWM group. People warn Lauren unspecifically about Celeste but when the two of them run for student council treasurer and win, the trouble starts. Is Celeste really the good friend that Lauren thinks? Although the general idea plot of this 154 page book was fairly predictable to me, it presents some very real dilemas that kids this age face every day dealing with friendship and popularity.
Strasser, Todd. Help! I'm trapped in a movie star's body, 1998 [0-439-07722-2]
This is another in this extensive series about some kids who have a machine that transfers their brains with someone else's. In this one, a movie is being made at Jake's school and his gets to switch with the teenage heart-throb actor. What I especially liked about this one is that it shows the life of a star is not always so wonderful. At the end of the story there was so much switching going around, it was like a puzzle to get everyone unswitched. This 151 page book is a quick, fun read.
Strasser, Todd. Help! I'm trapped in my principal's body, 1998
Here is another book about Jake and his friends using a machine to switch bodies. In this one there is a bully beating everyone up off the middle school grounds so they decide to get control of the principal's body to get the bully expelled. Once again all sorts of silly things happen and they do get the kid out of their school. Each of the book in this series are a fun, light read and this 117 page one says a lot about the principal's job. I plan to get my principal to read it for a laugh.
Strasser, Todd. Help! I'm trapped in obedience school again, 1997
This is another of the series in which some boys use a machine that can switch your mind and body with another person or an animal. Once again they switch with the yellow Lab, Lance. These are "sitcom" type book with silly things happening an may be a fun read if you are in the right mood. This 118 page book is probably for 4th-6th grade.
Strasser, Todd. Help! I'm trapped in the first day of summer camp, 1997
This is another in this large series about Jake and his friends. In this one he gets "stuck" in the first day of camp and keeps repeating it (like the movie Ground Hog's Day.) He has to do things correctly to get out of the day. The problem is that a group of "cool kids" are teasing a "dork." Jake has to decide whether to join in, defend the boy, or teach him to stand up for himself. While the book initially is silly - it could be a good group discussion starter. I ordered this 148 page book because I liked the other ones and thought the "summer camp" theme would be good for early Fall.
Strasser, Todd. Hey, Dad, get a life!, 1996 [0-8167-4530-7]
Kelly's and her younger sister's father had died recently and the family was having trouble adjusting. One day Kelly and Sasha notice a presence and realize that it is the ghost of their father. He starts doing things for them: cleaning their room, doing their homework, helping them in their soccer games, etc. Kelly begins to feel this is not right but her younger sister doesn't see it that way. Finally the mother asks what has been happening. This 164 page book is a warm, friendly ghost story about a family trying to adjust to the death of their father and husband. The story wraps up in a satisfying fashion.
Strauss, Linda Leopold. Really, truly, everything's fine. Marshall Cavendish, 2004 [0-7614-5163-3]
One night Jill hears her parents fighting and she finds out her father has been accused of robbing some jewels. He claims he is innocent but decides to move out of the house to prevent problems. Well, of course everyone finds out and tries to help the family but Jill's mother resists help, just immersing herself in her work. Jill's younger brother is confused. Jill had decided to run for class treasurer before the situation. Of course she loses. When her popular friends start avoiding her, Jill makes friends with a longer, independent girl which leads to other problems. The only way Jill (and the rest of the town) gets information about the state of the trial is through the newspapers. This story illustrates a family falling apart as it deals with trauma in its life. Please note, although the book is only 149 pages, the print is small and there is very little white space so it is a meatier read than one would initially think.
Strickland, Brad. The beast under the Wizard's bridge. Dial Books, 2000 [0-8037-2220-6]
In this continuation of John Bellair's series, Stickland once again wraps the reader up in a mystery about an evil force which has been released from a bridge by that bridge's destruction. Can Lewis, Rosa, Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmermann save the world from this evil force which has been released on Earth in combination of another arriving from outer space. Although this series does not have the cute aspects of Harry Potter, it is a good one for Harry Potter readers who can deal with a little more evil with their magic. This 151 page book holds the reader to his/her seat.
Strasser, Todd. Can't get there from here. Simon & Schuster, 2004 [0-689-84169-8]
This is the gritty tale of a tribe of teenagers living on the streets of New York. The reader experiences their rough life, what they have to do to survive, and their feelings of hopelessness. To survive, the kids learn not to trust adults...even those who may be trying to help them. When someone tries to help them, the kid's response is "what do you get out of it?" This 198 page book is a harsh tale of life on the streets and the limited possibilities of leaving that life.
Strasser, Todd._Give a boy a gun._Simon Pulse, 2000 [0-689-84893-5]
This is a fictional collection of fictional interviews concerning a fictional school shooting. The book tries to present various views of a school shooting (intermixed with actual quotes from articles.) It is definitely powerful but the author has a very evident frame of mind. I had initially avoided purchasing this book but one of our guidance counselors recommended it and was recommending it to others so I thought I should read it. The major complaint I have with the book is that it does not appear to be fiction and readers could be confused (our guidance counselor thought it was true.) But with it placed in the fiction section of the library and me stressing it, students will know its fiction.
Strasser, Todd. Kidnap kids, 1998 [0-689-11801-4]
Steven and Benjy's parents are always at work. The father travels around the world and the mother is a prosecutor working on a big time bombing case -- she is always on the news. The kids are hard on the many nannies which have quit so the parents get a weird college age kid next store to help. The family decides to spend a weekend away in the woods where the kids decide to tie up their parents when they threaten to end it quickly because of meetings. After several hours of being tied up the parents agree to have a fun weekend with the kids -- but friends of the bombers the mother is prosecuting show up to get even. This 166 page book starts out as a fun Strasser book (with a message about parents and families) but ends up as an exciting adventure. The mother is pictured on the cover like a prosecutor from a very famous murder trial -- in fact it is mentioned in the book that she changes her hair and dress because she is on camera so much -- sound familiar?
Strickland, Brad. The spector from the magician's museum. Dial, 1998 [0-8037-2202-8]
Brad Strickland continues John Bellair's stories about Lewis Barnevelt and his magician uncle and witch friend. In this one Rosa finds a scroll in a magicians museum which causes her to be involved with a long dead magician trying to come back from the dead. Here we meet huge spiders, a strange monument in a graveyard and time line which must be met. The magician and witch must fight the evil spells and save Rosa. This 149 page book follows nicely in Bellair's tradition and would be a good --if you liked Harry Potter... The whole Bellair's series would fit into this category.
Stroud, Jonathan._The Amulet of Samarkand [Bartimaeus Triology #1] Hyperion, 2003 [0-7868-1859-X]
The reader enters a world in which London (and the British government) is controlled my magicians and has been for hundreds of years. Within the book are historical references about magicians in power. Nathaniel is apprenticed to a older magician and soon learns more than his master. He calls up his own demon to command and gets involved a plot to overthrow the government. This demon is has been around for thousands of years and makes historical references while having a dry sense of humor. There is a lot of humor in this book but it is not all cuteness.. people die. This 462 page book is full of footnotes to explain things which very soon get tiring. The ending is an incredible climax. This series would be a wonderful one to follow the Harry Potter magic crowd. I am glad it is a trilogy and thus has only three books.
Surtevant, Katherine. At the sign of the star. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2000 [0-374-30449-1]
On night in 17th century England Meg sees a comet and believes it has changed her life. Well here life did change, her father got married and she no longer could help out in the bookstore but is trained in womanly things by her stepmother. This struggle makes her feel like her life is ruined but at the end of this 140 page book she begins to start to see some good in all that has happened.
Swallow, Pamela Curtis. It only looks easy. Roaring Brook, 2003 [0-7613-1790-2]
The day before the first day of 7th grade, Kat's dog is hit by a car driven by a woman with Alzheimer's disease. With the dog at the vet, she goes to school the next day. She is so upset, she "borrows" someone's bike at school (leaving a note) and rides to the vet. At the vet someone steals the bike that Kat borrowed. In this heartwarming 168 page book the reader learns how Kat deals with the loss of her reputation, her hurt pet, and a relationship with the woman with Alzheimer's disease. The readers get wrapped up in the angst of a junior high girl.
Swanson, Julie A. Going for the record. Eerdmans Books, 2004 [0-8028-5273-4]
Seventeen-year-old Julie has just made the under eighteen national soccer team. She is so pumped as she waits for her father to pick her up. When her father picks her up, he tells her he has cancer and only three months to live. This the heart-wrenching story of a family dealing with the death of the father in the home. It shows how your perspective on many things changes when someone you love is dying. The 217 page book is difficult to read (especially if you had someone die of cancer in your family.) I was in tears many times while reading it. A well written story.
Sykes, Shelley. For Mike, 1998
Jeff's best friend in HS, Mike, has disappeared several weeks ago and now he is having dreams. Mike appears in the dreams asking for help to watch for Kirby. Jeff doesn't know whether he is being warned of Kirby for being asked to take care of him. Jeff begins to slowly accept that Mike is dead. The tension continues to build until the end of the book when both Jeff and the reader find out what happened to Mike. I couldn't put down this 197 page book. In fact, I struggle to read the last part at my parent's house when I had forgotten my glasses.
Taylor, G.P. Shadowmancer. Putnam, 2004 [0-399-24256-2]
The local Vicar, Demurral, has become power hungry and has enlisted the powers of dark magic to become a shadowmancer. He has an artifact stolen from a temple in Africa and the priest comes to get it. This sets off a chain of events which pits evil against good, God again monsters, and magic against faith. This not the cute, Harry Potter type magic, but evil and dark stuff. The 275 page book has become a sensation in England and was on the NY Times bestseller list. I would not give it to a 6th grader and below. But for those who like this dark high fantasy stuff, it is great. The last third of the book is a roller coaster which makes it is hard to put the book down.
Taylor, G.P. Wormwood. Putnam, 2004 [0-399-24257-0]
Once again Taylor has crafted a dark tale in 18th century London. A scientist finds a book (with a spirit of its own) called the Nemorensis. With the help of this book he predicts a comet will destroy London. This tale is full of angels, fallen angles, demons, magic, and a monster made of clay and brought to life. It is full of plots and subplots which will keep your good readers who like dark stories thoroughly entertained. This 259 page book has little white space and is a difficult read. While this book is not for everyone, it is for the group of kids who like dark and evil stories.. and we all have some kids interested in such stories.
Taylor, Mildred D. The land. Speak/Penguin, 2001 [0-14-250146-8]
In this prequel to "Roll of thunder" Taylor takes us back to the years just after the Civil War. Paul (a former slave) is the 14 year-old son of a large farm owner. While he is treated well by his father, he is not white and now allowed many of the other privileges is white brothers receive. Taylor uses the language of the day, refusing to "whitewash" history. The language (the use of the "n-word") and story can be harsh. After many struggles with his father, Paul and a black friend of his set out on their own. Paul decides that he wants to own land, hence the books title. This 375 page book is a long and sometimes painful read. It documents the harsh treatments former slaves received at the hands of the white people of the south after they had been freed. This is a must-read for 7th graders and up.
Taylor, Theodore. Billy the Kid. Harcourt, 2005 [0-15-204930-4]
Billy "the Kid" Bonny was sitting outside a saloon one day and he gets involved in a argument with a father and two sons, one of which Billy wounds. Before long they are teamed together to rob a train. After the train robbery the sheriff goes after them and the sheriff happens to be a childhood friend of Billy. This 208 page book is a good wild west story but I am not sure how many students want to read wild west stories these days. Unfortunately the story is totally made up and not based on anything that happened to Billy the Kid. The author explains in the end notes that he did make up the story because he liked the character of Billy the Kid. I am not sure why an author would call a character by a historical figure's name and then precede to use no facts.... other than to sell books.
Taylor, Theodore. Lord of the Kill. Scholastic, 2002 [0-439-33725-9]
Sixteen-year-old Ben lives on a big cat preserve. His father who runs the place is a controversial animal rights defender who has angered a lot of people. One of the things Ben's father campaigns against is canned hunts. Where rich people pay big bucks to shoot a caged wild animal for a trophy. The story opens with Ben running the preserve in the absence of his parents who have gone on a National Geographic expedition. One morning a young lady's body is found in one of the compounds of jaguars. This is the just the start of problems Ben has to deal with.. including the disappearance of his parents, and the kidnapping of their largest tiger, a Siberian. There is plenty of mystery and suspense in this 246 page book along with the reader learning about "canned hunts."
Thesman, Jean._A sea so far._Viking 2001, [0-670-89278-5]
The book opens with the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and is told by two girls, one sick after scarlet fever with a hear problem yet rich and privileged. The other a poor Irish American. The description of the earthquake makes the reader become part of the suffering people. A few months after the earthquake these two girls come together, the sick one needing a companion so the Irish one is hired. Although it starts as an caretaker/sick person relationship, they become close friends and even travel to Ireland as the rich girl gets sicker and sicker. This 195 page book is really two stories (for different audiences) the earthquake and after-effects takes about a quarter of the book while the story of the young ladies caries on. Students who pick up the book for the excitement of the earthquake will be disappointed with the book... but that being said, it is a wonderful tale of developing friendship.
Thomas, Rob. Green thumb, 1999 [0-689-81780-0]
Thirteen-year old Grady is the science wiz kid at school and has won all the science fairs with his botany projects. One day I gets invited to participate in a Brazilian rain forest study in the summer. When he shows up he is appointed as a "gopher" so he starts investigating things for himself. He discovers a series of sounds which can control plants. The scientist in charge of the study is hiding something and when Grady finds out, his life is in danger. He makes friends with a local tribe and after a huge battle scene, saves the day and closes down the study. This is a fun 186 book with a lot of action at the end. The story gets into the ethics of scientific studies -- if you want to go there. I could have done without the part of him controlling the actions of plants (although the story line would have had to be changed significantly.)
Thompson, Kate._Switchers_,1998
Tess is a switcher (a child who can become various animals) and one day a boy follows her home from school. He is a switcher too and after they get to know each other they realize that they are being called on a mission. They must help save the world from Krools who are bringing back another ice age. This is a touching story of a developing friendship between two loners as well as an action packed adventure story as they switch to various animals while traveling north to battle the Krools. The reader really gets to know the Tess and Kevin very well. This 220 page book is a great "If you liked the Animorphs you'll like.." It is step up from them in reading level and in quality.
Thomson, Sarah. The Dragon's son. Orchard Books, 2001 [0-531-30333-0]
The author states that her goal is to fill out some of the characters in the Arthurian legend. Here we have the story of King Arthur told by Merlin's first wife, Arthur's sister, one other character and Arthur's son (The Dragon's son.) If found the expansion of the legend very well done and I thoroughly enjoyed it partly because I am interested in that legend. It will be interesting to see how the students will react to it. In a effort to be accurate the author uses the Welch spelling of all the characters. I found this confusing even though there was a translation table to the names at the front of the book. I found this 181 page book a good read.
Todd, Pamela. Pig and the shrink. Delacorte, 1999 [0-385-32657-2]
Tucker (the son of a psychiatrist) needs an interesting project for the science fair and thinks up nutrition and obese kids. He works with a classmate, who is nicknamed Pig and to his horror, the subject gains weight. As he tried various methods of weight loss, I thought the books was going to fall apart into a lesson on how to eat, but it didn't. The book 185 page book has a whole host of themes: friendship, ethics of experimenting on humans, bullying, and parental pressure. It is the first book from this author and I look forward to more.
Tolan, Stephanie S. Welcome to the ARK .HarperCollins,1996 [0-380-73319-6]
A home for troubled children sets up a group home for four exceptional children. Here they interact with themselves and the world (through the Internet.) They realize that they are connected without the machines - having shared dreams and reading each others thoughts. The group is especially sensitive to world violence which continues to grow. In fact there is a major terrorism attack in the book. Will the institution which set up the group home put up with the strange goings on at the group home? Will this group of exceptionally connected children be able to effect what happening in the world? This 250 page book is very thought provoking and is not for all students but for the ones who are interested in the human mind, ESP, world peace, etc. it will be a perfect match.
Tomlison, Theresa. Forestwife, 1993
This story is very loosely intertwined with the many, various tales of Robin Hood and Marion. Some of the vocabulary is difficult and British (maybe there should have been a glossary.) The story help my interest, but it was slow. I would not enthusiastically endorse this book but I can't trash it either. If you have students interested in the period of Robin Hood, King John, etc., you may get some use out of it. The main character (Marion) is a strong female character. I acquired this 170 page from our book fair. It is definitely a supplemental book that you may want to add to your collection.
Torrey, Michele. To the edge of the world. Knopf, 2003 [0-375-92338-1]
After the death of his parents, 14-year-old Mateo becomes cabin boy to Magellan on his trip around the world. The reader experiences the mutinies, and the many hardships and horrors of this dreadful three and a half year-long journey. There are historical notes and a bibliography at the end of this 219 page story. The book is a good way for students to experience and try to understand this epic journey of achievement.
Torrey, Michele. Voyage of midnight. Knopf, 2006 [0-375-82382-4]
Philip thinks he is an orphan doomed to a hard life until his seafaring uncle shows up and then promptly disappears. Eventually Philip finds him in New Orleans and is taken on his ship as assistant to the surgeon. Soon after the voyage starts Philip figures out that his uncle is a slave trader and they are on their way to Africa to pick up a load of slaves. This 232 page book shows the harsh cruelty of the slave trade, the callous attitude of the white people toward their cargo and the terrible realities of life on a slave ship. The slaves on the ship begin to respect Philip, thinking he will save them from this horrible misery. There are historical notes at the end of the book in which the author describes how Philip is based a compilation of several true historical figures. While this is not a very long book, it is vivid, yet not overly so, in its depiction of the harsh realities of the slave trade.. an interesting contrast to Fox's "Slave Dancer."
Townley, Roderick. The great good thing. Atheneum, 2001 [0-689-84324-0]
WOW what a great idea for a book! Here we have the characters of a book living the story and having to scramble to the correct spot every time a reader opens the book. Then they have to deal with being forgotten and their world collapsing as the last copy of the book sits on the shelf forgotten. What can they do to save the characters and their world? I have a strong feeling I will be purchasing more copies of this interesting twist on "A never ending story." It makes you want to promote books that are sitting on the shelf and not being read.
Treggiari, Jo. The curious misadventures of Feltus Ovalton. Lobster Press, 2006 [978-897073-43-8 // 1-897073-43-7]
Feltus is a loner. He has no friends and his parents ignore him. Everything changes for him one day when he discovers mysterious creatures under the kitchen table and a previously unknown aunt shows up at the door. Suddenly Feltus is selected at the one to save a world in another dimension. He teams up with his quirky aunt to deal with this magical and wild situation. This 334 page book is a fun fantasy that reminded me a little of Ibbotson.
Trembath, Don. The bachelors [Black Belt Series]. Orca Book, 2002 [1-55143-209-9]
Jeffrey and his mother live with his grandparents. The grandmother needs heart surgery and the his mother has to take her. Jeffrey gets to invite two friends to stay and help him with his grandfather for a week. They are the bachelors and this 156 page book is about all the antics that go on during that week. You should be aware the one of the boys says he has brought a bunch of X-rated videos from his fathers closet. When they go to watch them, they turn out to be old classics like Casablanca. It is a fun story with some sexual overtones. I have ordered the other two in the series. NOTE: This is a prepub copy and will not be released until 9/2002.
Trembath, Don. A beautiful place on Yonge Street. Orca, 1998 [1-55143-121-1]
This is the third in a series of books about Harper Winslow but it can be read totally on its own. Winslow meet Sunny and he falls in love. This 190 page book covers his summer of love. At the end of the book Sunny must make a decision as to whether she should go to live with her Aunt in Toronto and attend art school there. This is a nice first love story.. both shy and reluctant. As a side note: I purchased this book because I know Yonge street in Toronto.. and that is where the Aunt lives so nothing really happens there.
Trembath, Don. Frog Face and the three boys [Black Belt series]. Orca Books, 2000 [1551431653]
Three seventh grade boys (Charlie, Jeffrey and Sidney) are frequently in the principal's office at school and he realized that detention is not having any effect so he enrolls them in a karate class. Although the classes are a punishment, they boys begin to enjoy them while they learn about themselves and how to interact with other people. This 157 page book is entertaining and the first part of a collection of books about these boys. Although this is a good book, I preferred "The Bachelors" a little more. This series is very approachable for your reluctant reading boys.
Trembath, Don. One finger missing [Black Belt series]. Orca Book, 2001 [1-55143-194-7]
It all starts when smooth-talking Charlie is walking his dog which takes a nip at the finger of a pretty girl, tearing the finger of her glove. He is instantly smitten with her and promises to get her another pair. Meanwhile Sidney, his friend, has fallen in love with another girl whose mother thinks she is too young to date. These boys who met in a karate class are involved in another of the Black Belt series. The banter between Charlie and Sydney in chapter 9 almost had me in tears laughing. This 156 page book is a fun high interest book.
Trembath, Don. Lefty Carmichael has a fit. Orca Book, 1999 [1-55143-166-1]
This book opens in a hospital room as Lefty is slowly waking up. Around him is a family reacting to him being in the hospital. Lefty had a seizure in the playground and now he has to deal with it. Not only him, but also, his family, friends, and high school members. This 215 page book deals with epilepsy in a realistic and yet humorous fashion. The book had a lot of humor in it. I would love to see the opening 50 pages with him waking up in the hospital performed on stage. I have been following this author because he is Canadian and may not get the publicity that American authors get. This is my favorite book of his so far.
In this first of a trilogy, it is 1760 and John goes to Canada with his father who is in the military. He ends up recording the wilderness and people for the King through his drawings. This 216 page book is good historical fiction set around the time of Pontiac's rebellion. The reader learns a lot of the time and the tensions that build up to such a rebellion of the local people.
Trueman, Terry. Stuck in neutral. HarperCollins, 2000 [0-06-028519-2]
Fourteen-year-old-Shawn has very severe cerebral palsy. Since he has such poor muscle control he can not communicate with the outside world at all -- everyone thinks he is a vegetable. This powerful story is told by Shawn. He has seizures and when they happen he enjoys the experience but the rest of the world, especially his father, thinks he is suffering them and in pain. Shawn begins to realize that his father plans to kill him to put him out of his misery. While this 114 page book is short, it is a VERY heavy topic and I only recommend it for mature students. Having said that, I think it is a "must have" book in all 7-12 grade libraries.
Turner, Megan Whalen. The thief, 1997
This is a quasi-ancient Greek tale of three city-states. A group from one city sets out to rob an important jewel from another city-state. The reader learns of the fictional folklore of these people. The first half of the story is slow but the last part of the book is fast, exciting with many plot twists. There are discrepancies with the apparent background of the story but the author explains this at the end of the book (not to my satisfaction.) Despite all its weaknesses, I recommend this book. This 219 page book is was a 1997 Newbery Honor book, which is why I purchased it.