There is quite a bit of violence and creepy illustrations but this is a great story of survival and loyalty. Middle school readers will be hooked and There is quite a bit of violence and creepy illustrations but this is a great story of survival and loyalty. Middle school readers will be hooked and also awed by Cleo’s bravery. ...more
Great way to introduce anxiety and the mind/body connection. I think girls primarily will benefit from the message but it’s a nice middle school read Great way to introduce anxiety and the mind/body connection. I think girls primarily will benefit from the message but it’s a nice middle school read for all. ...more
Now 16-year old Jade Hameister tells her amazing story of becoming the youngest person to complete thRead in one sitting! I just couldn’t put it down.
Now 16-year old Jade Hameister tells her amazing story of becoming the youngest person to complete the Polar Hat-Trick (crossing the three largest polar ice caps on skis). Starting at the age of 14, Jade, along with her uber-supportive father, began training and conditioning to face their first ice cap, the North Pole. Jade’s account of the grueling yet inspirational trek pull readers in at what an awesome feat this is for anyone to undertake, let alone a teenager. Two subsequent treks across Greenland and the South Pole complete Jade’s epic journey and she now has first hand knowledge of how imminent a danger global warming has become. She has completed countless speaking engagements, done a Tedx Talk and was the feature of Nat Geo’s On Thin Ice documentary. So many parts of the journeys are deadly and dangerous and whole chapters read like an adventure thriller. This is a un-put-downable autobiography of a tremendously brave and strong young woman. The resounding message throughout the account is Jade’s belief that young women need to focus less on their appearance and rather what they can accomplish. Chapters are broken up with sections on “Some Cool Facts About…” (polar ice caps, Greenland, climate change, etc.), the script of Jade’s Tedx Talk and gorgeous color photos of the expedition. Jade’s story is amazingly powerful and her young voice sets a tone of hope and perseverance. As Jade is Australian, measurements are in metric so the average American reader will not be able to gauge the vastness of depths, heights and temperatures without a little help from a converter. An excellent selection for middle school biography collections.
Sweet and wholesome, Lety Out Loud is a story about loyalty and friendship. Heading into sixth grade, Lety and her two best friends, Kennedy and BrisaSweet and wholesome, Lety Out Loud is a story about loyalty and friendship. Heading into sixth grade, Lety and her two best friends, Kennedy and Brisa, have signed up for Furry Friends Animal Shelter summer camp. The camp assigns different tasks for the campers and Lety is eager to become a Shelter Scribe, someone who writes the witty little blurbs to describe the dogs and cats that are up for adoption. It’s a crucial job that helps get the pets into forever homes and though Lety is still a new English-language learner, she wants to try to both help the animals and improve her English. Mean-boy Henry however has other ideas and thinks his superior reading and writing skills should make him scribe. The campers cook up a contest to see whether Henry or Lety’s animal profiles get the most animals adopted. The competition makes Lety uncomfortable but she can’t help getting pulled in. Working alongside Henry also has some interesting outcomes, the most important is finding out that Henry is struggling with a family issue and his grumpiness is because his dog was left behind when his parents split up. He misses his dog like an ache and Lety can’t help but try to improve the situation. Lety is a great friend and frequently thinks of others before herself which also makes her a great candidate to be a pet owner. She’s had her eye on Spike, a rascal of a dog, since the beginning of camp but now needs to prove to the shelter director (who has found out about the competition and is none too pleased), her family and herself. A nice addition to upper elementary or middle grade collections where animal fiction is popular. There is also the opportunity to use this novel to highlight how hard ELL students work to better themselves in school despite disdain and mockery from classmates. ...more
Another addition in the Toy Academy series, Ready for Action is funny, witty and perfect for adventure-driven readers who are looking to experiment wiAnother addition in the Toy Academy series, Ready for Action is funny, witty and perfect for adventure-driven readers who are looking to experiment with a novel instead of their go-to graphic novel. Black and white illustrations accompany each page, chapters are short and the story is just silly-enough to keep readers giggling as they find out what will happen next. Grumbolt, a short cuddly bear, has been given admittance to Toy Academy to train to protect fellow toys from villains and enemies to Toy World. Grumbolt, along with good friend Micro and least-favorite person Rex Everything, compete through a variety of challenges to prove their metal to Professor Goldhawk. On one particular training day, students get to find out who will be their sidekick. Grumbolt’s joy soon evaporates when he discovers that Goldhawk gave him the role of sidekick to Rex Everything. Rex is mean and self-centered and rather than work together to be a great team, Rex lets Grumbolt know in no uncertain terms that he is inferior and useless. Grumbolt is disheartened but when Toy Academy is attacked by Tempest Boomcloud, a discontinued toy, Grumbolt actually does quite a bit to save the day, earning Rex’s respect and friendship. A light-hearted, quick read, students who enjoy the Toy Story franchise will love this look into the secret world of toys.
Dan Green’s InstaGraphics: A Visual Guide to Your Universe will delight fans of Scholastic’s Book of World Records or Nat Geo Kid’s Weird But True serDan Green’s InstaGraphics: A Visual Guide to Your Universe will delight fans of Scholastic’s Book of World Records or Nat Geo Kid’s Weird But True series. Each page is visually dynamic with color photos, short text boxes and little known (and oddly curious) facts that reel in the reader. Chapters cover a variety of topics on natural disasters, animals, the human body and technology. While this nonfiction will surely be in high demand due to its eye-catching page displays of infographics, charts and visuals, it does not offer enough knowledge on any given topic. Hopefully this will prove a springboard for readers to then dive more deeply into other meatier nonfiction. There is definitely “gross-factor” appeal with this title and library displays could certainly play up the sections on longest finger nails (358.1 inches!), the dung beetle (and its love of manure) and the delicious (and potentially fatal) pufferfish. A glossary is also included. ...more
A great pairing to Ghost by Jason Reynolds. Joseph is a distracted learner due to ADD. He is meek and often startled by noises and sudden movements. IA great pairing to Ghost by Jason Reynolds. Joseph is a distracted learner due to ADD. He is meek and often startled by noises and sudden movements. It makes him a perfect target for bullies at his middle school. But all that changes once Heather arrives at his school. She joins the cross country team with Joseph and suddenly Joseph has a friend and champion. He begins to realize that working for a PR in cross country has some useful applications for his daily life too.
Great relationship with his grandfather. This reminded me a lot of Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.
Book #2 of the 2019 Auntie-Niece book club and what a great pick! Told in alternating emails and letters, twelve year olds Bett and Avery form the mosBook #2 of the 2019 Auntie-Niece book club and what a great pick! Told in alternating emails and letters, twelve year olds Bett and Avery form the most unlikeliest of friendships. Such a nice story of what it means to be family of the heart....more
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous in this heartbreaking graphic novel. I’ve never read the original story by Deborah Ellis but now definitely The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous in this heartbreaking graphic novel. I’ve never read the original story by Deborah Ellis but now definitely need to. And I completely understand why all the kids are asking for me to have a book two in the library because this definitely leaves you wondering what happens to Parvana’s family. Such a powerful story....more
A fun and zany mystery, Digging Up Danger is another novel by The Story Pirates, a collective of authors and actors who encourage kids to share with tA fun and zany mystery, Digging Up Danger is another novel by The Story Pirates, a collective of authors and actors who encourage kids to share with them their wild and interesting storylines. The adults then turn the ideas into novels, music, performances and a podcast. In this adventure, twelve year old Eliza and her botanist mother travel to New York for a summer job of identifying many rare and unusual plants. Eliza is less than thrilled to leave home and now live on the fourth floor of Carrolls’ Gardens. The Carrolls are also hosting their 13 year old nephew Tommy. Eliza is supremely bored by plants and wants nothing more than to creep around this old building investigating for ghosts. As a paranormal researcher, she definitely can tell that something unusual is going on at the gardens. First there are the voices, then all of the Carrolls suddenly have yellow eyes and finally there is the black shadow. With the help of her mother, Eliza slowly begins to piece together this strange turn of events and much to her chagrin it is not ghosts at work but rather a powerful and rare plant that is turning humans into dogs. The chapters often end with a cartoon illustration of Rolo Vincent (the captain of the story pirates) and Phoebe (the kid writer of Digging Up Danger). The two cartoon characters connect the ongoing plot with suggestions at the back of the book, in the Mystery Creation Zone, of how to become a mystery writer, how to introduce clues, how to build suspense, etc. While the majority of readers will only read the mystery in the front half of the book, those who are interested in becoming an author or a better writer will enjoy the suggestions and encouragement of the back half. This is a unique series that will interest readers and writers alike.
Two stories of grief entwine throughout this emotionally-charged story of finding the courage to once again have faith in people and hope in the futurTwo stories of grief entwine throughout this emotionally-charged story of finding the courage to once again have faith in people and hope in the future. Ruby Moon Hayes has recently lost her father from a tragic and senseless shooting. Ruby’s mother, in a desperate attempt to cope with their loss, has been moving Ruby around the country searching for their “forever home.” Ruby has had enough and this most recent move to a small town in Vermont has only worsened Ruby and her mother’s relationship. Against her mother’s expectation to stay away from the old woman down the street, Ruby and her dog Bob are drawn to The Bird Lady, the townspeople’s cruel name for this strange woman who lives in the shed on her property. Slowly and tentatively, Ruby and Abigail form a sweet and powerful bond that pulls Ruby out of her tightly wound isolation while Ruby offers Abigail a chance to finally share the terrible loss she harbors which prevents her from stepping foot back in her home. While Ruby is an angry and withdrawn teenager, her friendships with Abigail and her ever-forbearing classmate Ahmed, a recent Syrian refugee, keep her from fully shutting down and she proves to be an immensely compelling survivor. Told through Ruby’s perceptive and intelligent perspective, this is a story that will stay with readers long after they finish. Pair with I Love You, Michael Collins and Hidden Figures. Highly recommended for all middle school collections....more