THIS BOOK STINKS!

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

Something smells bad…but it’s not this new title from NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS. Filled with colorful pictures, fascinating facts, and activities, the trash here will inspire all readers to look at garbage in a totally new way and more important—take action to make a difference in what we do with our trash.

Seven chapters explore a variety of issues (And a little teaser I found interesting):

  1. THE BIN AND BEYOND–Discover what eight categories makes up our trash and the ways we get rid of our rubbish. (Nearly two tons of trash in the U.S. ends up in landfills every year!)
  2. TRASHING THE EARTH–How does trash effect the entire planet and beyond? (A glove dropped during the first American spacewalk in 1965 is still orbiting the Earth.)
  3. ALL ABOUT RECYCLING–Ways to eliminate waste and the wild ways people around the world are recycling. (The leader in recycling rates in the U.S. is San Francisco at 80 percent)
  4. FOOD (WASTE) FOR THOUGHT–Learn about food waste and how some people are vowing to prevent it. (The average person throws away a half a pound of food a day.)
  5. DIRTY WORK–Learn from the people who make trash their living. (Garbage collectors are more likely to get injured on the job than police officers.)
  6. THE FUTURE OF GARBAGE–Take a look at seven innovative receptacles that are changing the way we get rid of our waste. (Adidas is working on a new sneaker made out of trash.)
  7. TAKE OUT THE TRASH–The little things all of us can do to make a difference in turning trash into a positive.(Don’t throw out the sour milk; instead use it to make pancakes—recipe included!)

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THE OFFICIAL BLURB: Get up close and personal with the wonderful world of waste. From composting and recycling, to landfills and dumps, to how creative people are finding new ways to reuse rubbish. It’s fun to talk trash when it’s jam-packed with infographics, thematic spreads, wow-worthy photos, sidebars, serious stats, and fabulous facts. Also included are quizzes and activities to inspire kids to take action, be proactive, and rethink the things we throw away.

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Author, Sarah Wassner Flynn, has taken a less than appealing topic and made it into a fascinating journey of discovery. Interviews with various trash experts and quizzes add to the interactive nature. The best part is kids can use the detailed five part plan and begin making a difference in their home and community.

Perfect for science classes and for summer reading. This is one book you won’t want to recycle.

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5 WORLDS: THE SAND WARRIOR for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

A reluctant reader once told me the reason he didn’t like to read books was it took too long to turn the page. What he meant to say was slogging through 250 words without any visual treats equated to torture. Thank goodness we have graphic novels.

The new 5 Worlds series should be a welcome sight for all readers who enjoy a good story along with gorgeous images. Your eyes move across the panels and the pages turn quickly as you learn about the fate of the 5 Worlds.

There are exciting scenes when the sand gets out of control and war erupts.  Each character faces their own realities of who they are and what their purpose is in this universe.

Tuck this one in the back seat for those long car rides this summer. You’ll never hear anyone say “Are we there yet?”

PUBLICATION DATE: 2017   PAGE COUNT: 256

FULL PLOT (From Amazon): The Five Worlds are on the brink of extinction unless five ancient and mysterious beacons are lit. When war erupts, three unlikely heroes will discover there’s more to themselves—and more to their worlds—than meets the eye. . . .

• The clumsiest student at the Sand Dancer Academy, Oona Lee is a fighter with a destiny bigger than she could ever imagine.

• A boy from the poorest slums, An Tzu has a surprising gift and a knack for getting out of sticky situations.

• Star athlete Jax Amboy is beloved by an entire galaxy, but what good is that when he has no real friends?

When these three kids are forced to team up on an epic quest, it will take not one, not two, but 5 WORLDS to contain all the magic and adventure!

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: 5 WORLDS: THE SAND WARRIOR by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel (Illustrated by Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, & Boya Sun)

  1. A girl hero who emerges into a confident fighter. Great choice for this adventure rather than have another male protagonist leading the way like we usually find.
  2. The amount of work that went into the graphics is stunning. Each page comes at you with new images from different perspectives. You can see for yourself at the 5 Worlds website.
  3. The story is destined to become more intriguing in future installments but for me the characters are what will bring readers back.  They are each different with a set of skills sure to come in handy in their continuing adventure.
  4.  The fact that we are dealing with five worlds makes the possibilities and adventure quotient even greater as the series continues.
  5. An Tzu has a mysterious disease and Jax is more than just a boy. I’m anxious to find out more about these two.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM:

Mark Siegel has written and illustrated several award-winning picture books and graphic novels, including the New York Times bestseller Sailor Twain, or the Mermaid in the Hudson. He is also the founder and editorial director of First Second Books.

Alexis Siegel is a writer and translator based in London, England. He has translated a number of bestselling graphic novels, including Joann Sfar’s The Rabbi’s Cat, Penelope Bagleu’s Exquisite Corpse, and Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese into French.

Xanthe Bouma is an illustrator based in Southern California. When not working on picture books, fashion illustration, and comics, Xanthe enjoys soaking up the beachside sun.

Matt Rockefeller is an illustrator and comic book artist from Tucson, Arizona. His work has appeared in a variety of formats, including book covers, picture books, and animation. Matt lives in New York City.

Boya Sun is an illustrator and coauthor of e=the upcoming graphic novel . Originally from China, Boya has traveled from Canada to the United States and now resides in teh charming city of Baltimore.

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Make a comment below if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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RISE of the ISLE of the LOST

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

Out this week is the newest book in the Descendants series, RISE OF THE ISLE OF THE LOST. It follows last year’s RETURN TO THE ISLE OF THE LOST and the book that started it all in 2015, THE ISLE OF THE LOST.

                                           

For those unfamiliar with the series, it’s a story about the offspring of Disney’s wicked cast of villains from various books and movies. The Isle of the Lost is where they keep the whole lot of no good families. The parents may be nasty but are their kids the same way? Along the way four of the youngsters break free and live in idyllic Auradon, making enemies with those left behind.

If all of this makes sense then the third book will be a perfect fit for you. Of course it helps to be well versed in Disney villain lore, but even without, the story rolls along to an exciting climatic confrontation. The characters are in their teens but the intended audience is middle grade. It’s the next step for those having grown up with princesses, sea creatures, and a little bit of Hi-Ho…Hi-Ho.

Here’s the official book jacket blurb:

Ride with the tide!

Deep beneath the waves, King Triton’s powerful trident has passed through the magical barrier that surrounds the Isle of the Lost-keeping villains in and magic out. And when Mal’s longtime rival Uma, daughter of Ursula, gets wind of this, she can’t believe her luck. The tide has dragged in something good for a change, and Uma is determined to get her wicked hands on it. But first, she needs a pirate crew.

A storm is brewing back in Auradon, and when Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay hear that the trident has been washed away, they realize they’ll have to find it before anyone from the Isle does. Luckily, they seem to have a talent for locating missing magical objects.

As Uma readies for the high seas alongside Harry, son of Captain Hook, Gil, son of Gaston, and the toughest rogues on the Isle of the Lost, the reformed villains of Auradon devise their own master plan. And with King Ben away on royal business, they won’t have to play by all the rules. Using bad for good can’t be totally evil, right?

The thrilling, perilous race to the trident pits old friends-and current enemies-against each other with the future of Auradon on the line. Both teams might like to make waves, but only one will come out on top of this one.

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In typical Disney fashion the book is a prequel to the upcoming second Descendant’s movie coming out this July on the Disney channel. Keep the excitement going must be their motto as they’ve certainly succeeded on all fronts. It sure appears a Descendant’s summer is on the horizon.

AUTHOR BIO:

Melissa de la Cruz  is the author of the #1 New York Times best sellers The Isle of the Lost and Return to the Isle of the Lost, as well as many other best-selling novels, including all the books in the Blue Bloods series: Blue Bloods, Masquerade, Revelations, The Van Alen Legacy, Keys to the Repository, Misguided Angel, Bloody Valentine, Lost in Time, and Gates of Paradise. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and daughter. (For more visit Melissa’s author web site)

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LUCKY BROKEN GIRL for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

I’ve read more books about diverse characters and their stories of immigration this year than I had the previous four years combined. And that’s a good thing.

This story is unique in that it is based on an experience the author had as a child. Her family immigrated from Cuba to New York City in the 1960s. Like the protagonist, Ruthie Mizrahi, Ms. Behar was involved in a car accident that left her bedridden at the age of nine.

For Ruthie, a hopscotch loving Jewish Cuban girl, she’s just getting used to a new culture, finally getting out of the dumb class (a special class for her to work on language skills), and making new friends when the accident occurs. It was hard enough leaving Cuba, the only home she knew, but this traumatic experience makes adjusting all the more difficult.

In a body cast, barely able to move Ruthie is faced with a new direction in her life. Friends treat her differently and the constant care she needs is stressful for the entire family, especially her Mami. Heartfelt and eye opening, the book moves like an airport taxiway, sending you to discover new things and the courage it takes to face the future.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2017   PAGE COUNT: 256

FULL PLOT (From AMAZON) In this unforgettable multicultural coming-of-age narrative—based on the author’s childhood in the 1960s—a young Cuban-Jewish immigrant girl is adjusting to her new life in New York City when her American dream is suddenly derailed. Ruthie’s plight will intrigue readers, and her powerful story of strength and resilience, full of color, light, and poignancy, will stay with them for a long time.

Ruthie Mizrahi and her family recently emigrated from Castro’s Cuba to New York City. Just when she’s finally beginning to gain confidence in her mastery of English—and enjoying her reign as her neighborhood’s hopscotch queen—a horrific car accident leaves her in a body cast and confined her to her bed for a long recovery. As Ruthie’s world shrinks because of her inability to move, her powers of observation and her heart grow larger and she comes to understand how fragile life is, how vulnerable we all are as human beings, and how friends, neighbors, and the power of the arts can sweeten even the worst of times.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: LUCKY BROKEN GIRL by Ruth Behar

  1. The other characters who support Ruthie in her quest to get better are numerous. My favorites were Ramu, a classmate from India, and Chicho, a nice neighbor man from Mexico. They give Ruthie hope when there doesn’t seem to be any.
  2. Food and music play an important role. The food was a joy to savor. Bring me a puff.  I also never guessed I’d ever see Nancy Sinatra’s old song These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ in a middle grade book. Better yet, these boots become a significant story line.
  3. Yes, it’s sad but there is optimism. My heart sank every time Ruthie went to the doctor and he frowned at the x-ray. It made her last visit all the more glorious.
  4. A few days with the flu or a pesky cold will be a minor inconvenience now that I’ve read Ruthie’s story. Being trapped in a plaster cocoon for almost a year brings challenges only the strongest would be able to endure.
  5. Books become a new friend to Ruthie. Nancy Drew especially. Yes, books can heal.

FAVORITE LINES: 

I am not dumb. I am not dumb. I am not dumb…

The first time I worked up the courage to raise my hand in class was a few weeks after we had arrived from Cuba and I was wearing flip-flops instead of shoes and socks like the other kids. But when our teacher, Mrs. Sarota, called on me to answer the math problem, I didn’t have the words to say the number in English.

AUTHOR QUOTE: 

If there’s a message in the novel that’s very important for children it’s that maybe there’s a change in your life and you’re not the person you were before, but that’s not a bad thing. You have to accept it.

(For more about LUCKY BROKEN GIRL and Ruth’s other stories visit her author web site.)

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Make a comment if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them. Click on the comments link below.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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50 STATES: OUR AMERICA

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

Young readers who are studying the United States or want to learn more about this great country can stop right here at this new title from TIME FOR KIDS.

What better way to start  than to have a look at the people who inhabited the land before the 50 states came to be. There are sections on Tribal Nations, European Settlement, and Westward Expansion. After you get grounded in our beginnings it’s off to a visit to each state in alphabetical order.

From Alabama to Wyoming, every state is highlighted in a one page article with an accompanying fact box. I really liked that each article began with a history of the tribal nations inhabiting the area before statehood.

Not left out are Washington D.C., the U.S. Territories and Commonwealths. The colorful guide closes with a look at each region of the U.S. You’ll find me out here in the West, but other areas like the Northeast, South, Midwest, and Pacific States are summarized to show off their unique traits.

Filled with maps and iconic images of America’s people and sights, 50 STATES: OUR AMERICA is a must for any summer road trip.

Enjoy your weekend and start planning that summer trip!

 

 

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THE EPIC FAIL of ARTURO ZAMORA for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

The importance of family is vividly portrayed as Arturo tells the story of life in a Cuban-American community. Seventh grade thirteen year old boys have changing interests and Arturo is having a tough time with his sudden infatuation with Carmen, a Spanish girl and life long friend of the Zamora family. She and her dad are visiting after the death of her own mother and are like a cousin and uncle to Arturo.

Life for the Zamora’s centers around their beloved restaurant, La Cocina de la Isla. Arturo’s grandmother (Abuela) started the business after coming over from Cuba, His mom is the head chef. You are a part of their family whenever you dine in this mouth watering place in the town of Canal Grove, Florida. Big Sunday dinners never sounded so fabulous.

But all is not well as a sleazy developer wants to bulldoze the property for a high rise residential and entertainment center. Arturo and Carmen plot to stop this from happening. They learn about standing up for what you believe in and about each other. The story is both heartwarming and funny, but most of all it shows an MG book can succeed without bullies or divorce. You’ll want to hug this family.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2017   PAGE COUNT: 256

FULL PLOT (From Amazon) For Arturo, summertime in Miami means playing basketball until dark, sipping mango smoothies, and keeping cool under banyan trees. And maybe a few shifts as junior lunchtime dishwasher at Abuela’s restaurant. Maybe. But this summer also includes Carmen, a cute girl who moves into Arturo’s apartment complex and turns his stomach into a deep fryer. He almost doesn’t notice the smarmy land developer who rolls into town and threatens to change it. Arturo refuses to let his family and community go down without a fight, and as he schemes with Carmen, Arturo discovers the power of poetry and protest through untold family stories and the work of José Martí.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THE EPIC FAIL of ARTURO ZAMORA by Pablo Cartaya

  1. The food. I read this over many evenings and found my stomach pulling me into the kitchen. Many of the recipes are in the back of the book. I’m destined to be 10 pounds heavier by the end of summer.
  2. Arturo’s conversations with Carmen are spot on hilarious. It’s the same thing every 13 year old boy goes through when his only thought after saying something to the girl he likes is “Why did I just say that?”
  3. I had not heard of Cuban poet and journalist, José Martí. He had quite the life back in the 1800s and his poetry is central to this story. I learned more about him here.
  4. Spanish is woven into the story although Arturo does not understand it very well. He was born in America and English is more to his liking. Of course hearing bilingual Carmen speak to his parents and grandparents in Spanish makes him want to relearn what he once knew.
  5. I felt every moment of Arturo’s angst as junior lunchtime dishwasher. My first job was as a dishwasher at a local family chicken restaurant. I lasted a month.

FAVORITE LINES:

“It was nice to see you again, Arturo,” Carmen said. She turned to follow Uncle Frank into their unit.

“You too,” I said. As I walked to my room, I tried to make sense of what had happened tonight. Carmen = Mom’s goddaughter/niece was not computing with Artura + Carmen = sudden frying of intestines when I talked to her.

AUTHOR QUOTE:

When I’m asked what “home” means to me, I think of it as a feeling rather than a specific place. The fictional Miami neighborhood you will read about in these pages is an amalgam of my many spiritual homes. Miami is where I live now, but a part of me carries my summers in Spain where I developed my first crush. Another part carries my years growing up in New York City and later working in Los Angeles. A deeper part of me carries my grandparents’ journey from Cuba—with all the sacrifice that entailed. Home is my culture. Home is my family. Home is something we instinctively want to protect.

(For more about Pablo and his books visit his web site)

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Make a comment below if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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THE EXPLORERS: THE DOOR IN THE ALLEY for Marvelous Middle Grade EXTRA

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

I am pleased to be a part of the two-month long blog tour (That’s right two months!) for THE EXPLORERS: THE DOOR IN THE ALLEY. Next week the tour continues at these fine blogs:

May 15 Librarians Quest

May 16 The Book Wars

May 17 Middle Grade Mafioso

May 18 Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile

May 19 Tween You & Me

I previously reviewed author, Adrian Kress, and her collaboration with Frank Bedder in HATTER MADIGAN: GHOST IN THE HATBOX. Adrienne also has numerous YA novels, anthologies, and plays she’s written. I was glad to see her new MG book and can safely declare—Break the longstanding rule and judge this book by its cover. It screams adventure, mystery, fun, and the beginning of a brand new series.

Upon closer inspection the cover features Sebastian, a bright boy who likes order and is thrown into a mystery. Catherine, one of the five adult explorers who is now wrapped up in a python. The Melted Man with a gruesome face, searching for a key and willing to kill for it. Hanging from a rope is Evie Drake, a parentless child searching for her explorer grandfather (This may also be a warning to readers that you will be left hanging at the end with one of those cliffhangers. I’ll have to endure for who knows how long with the question from young readers: When does the next one come out?)

The narration is quirky and full of humorous sidelights and plays on words. It’s like the dinner party guest who brings with her a pig wearing a teeny hat. You ask “What’s up with the pig?” and for the next several hours she fills you in, waving her arms around in the process. You don’t dare interrupt as the story has you laughing and begging to find out what happens next.

Yeah, what does happen next? I’ll be waiting.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2017   PAGE COUNT: 320

FULL PLOT: Featuring a mysterious society, a secretive past, and a pig in a teeny hat, The Explorers: The Door in the Alley is the first book in a new series for fans of The Name of This Book Is a Secret and The Mysterious Benedict Society. Knock once if you can find it—but only members are allowed inside. 

This is one of those stories that start with a pig in a teeny hat. It’s not the one you’re thinking about. (This story is way better than that one.)

This pig-in-a-teeny-hat story starts when a very uninquisitive boy stumbles upon a very mysterious society. After that, there is danger and adventure; there are missing persons, hired thugs, a hidden box, a lost map, and famous explorers; and also a girl on a rescue mission.

The Explorers: The Door in the Alley is the first book in a series that is sure to hit young readers right in the funny bone.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THE EXPLORERS: THE DOOR IN THE ALLEY by Adrienne Kress

  1. Each chapter title begins with “In which…” and some stretch several lines long. They all serve as a great lead-in to the action ahead.
  2. Surprising plot directions and dialog occur frequently. A great example is the punishment Sebastian receives for his misdeed: Act innappropriate.
  3. It was refreshing to have a character like Sebastian who breaks the mold by thinking logically about everything. This means he struggles with the choices he must make. Miss school for a day? How will he ever catch up?
  4. The mystery of the explorers, The Filipendulous Five, who disbanded and disappeared is a nice dangling carrot that will carry the story for many more books.
  5. Although we don’t see enough of the many strange rooms in The Explorers Society house, the ones we do get a peek at makes me hope they’ll be more time spent here in the next book.

FAVORITE LINES: 

Sebastian took a sip and found he rather did like tea with milk and sugar.

“Good?”

He nodded and she smiled. He took a bite of his cookie and then another sip of tea.

“Okay. Just so you understand what’s going to happen,” began the woman, “I’m going to call the police and have them come arrest you.”

AUTHOR QUOTE

Most rewarding?  Well when people like the book, that’s pretty sweet!  But I really really love making someone laugh.  And when someone says that the book is funny, or when I show someone a piece of writing and they just start laughing, I swear there is really nothing quite like that feeling.

There’s also the bigger thing, the being an inspiration thing, which is almost too big a thing for me to really appreciate.  I do get emails from kids, and even some adults, who tell me that my writing has inspired them in some way or another.  That just overwhelms me.  I’m deeply honoured that I can be that to people, and deeply humbled.

(For More visit Adrienne’s Author Website.)

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Make a comment if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them. Click on the comments link below.

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CALL ME SUNFLOWER for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

It’s been two years since Miriam Spitzer Franklin’s debut novel, EXTRAORDINARY, was released. This month her much anticipated second novel hits the shelves, CALL ME SUNFLOWER. To celebrate this occasion I have a giveaway: One lucky person will win a copy of CALL ME SUNFLOWER. Just leave a comment by 10 pm EST on May 11. Good luck and now on to my review…

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Sunny is one confused middle grade kid. She has always known about being adopted at birth by her parents. What she doesn’t know will soon be discovered in a picture, sending Sunny into the typical tween behavior of act first-think about the real consequences later. The decisions she makes hurts family, friends and herself. It’s the conflict that keep us reading.

The first person narration takes you through the anxiety of being the new kid in school and having the parents she loves separated by several states and one huge secret. Life does not always come wrapped in a neat package and Sunny shows it at every turn in this heartfelt and issue driven plot.

Perfect as a read aloud with many chances for discussion, the book will have you thinking about family and how sometimes we make the growing up years for kids even more difficult.

Spend some time with Sunflower and her family. You’ll be enriched.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2017   PAGE COUNT: 256

FULL PLOT (From AMAZON) Sunny Beringer hates her first name—her real first name—Sunflower. And she hates that her mom has suddenly left behind her dad, Scott, and uprooted their family miles away from New Jersey to North Carolina just so she can pursue some fancy degree. Sunny has to live with a grandmother she barely knows, and she’s had to leave her beloved cat and all her friends behind. And no one else seems to think anything is wrong.

So she creates “Sunny Beringer’s Totally Awesome Plan for Romance”—a list of sure-fire ways to make her mom and Scott fall madly in love again, including:

Send Mom flowers from a “Secret Admirer” to make Scott jealous and make him regret letting them move so far away.
Make a playlist of Scott’s favorite love songs—the mushier the better—and make sure it’s always playing in the car.
Ask them about the good old days when they first fell in love.
But while working on a photo album guaranteed to make Mom change her mind and rush them right back home, Sunny discovers a photo—one that changes everything.

Sunny’s family, the people she thought she could trust most in the world, have been keeping an enormous secret from her. And she’ll have to reconcile her family’s past and present, or she’ll lose everything about their future.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: CALL ME SUNFLOWER by Miriam Spitzer Franklin

  1. I smiled upon seeing the initials ‘OM’ woven into the story. It stands for Odyssey of the Mind and is a creative problem solving competition offered in many school districts. I’ve been a coach and for many kids it becomes their one way to shine.
  2. The upheaval of leaving old friends and trying to make new ones is expertly crafted here. There are emails to keep the connection with past friends and often uncomfortable conversations with the new faces in Sunny’s life.
  3. The selling of animal fur coats is a subplot that looms larger by the end. It’s a hot topic kids and adults will take a strong opinion toward.
  4. Autumn is the younger sister who tends to act like the typical little girl. That is until her strong voice shines through at the end.
  5. North Carolina makes a great setting for this story.

FAVORITE LINES:  “It’s going to be okay,” Scott had said after he explained why I couldn’t stay with him at his condo: he was too busy running his store and going back to school to take care of an eleven-year-old and, besides, Mom would never leave me behind.

I wanted to shake him by the shoulders and yell, “How can you just let us go?” Instead, I noticed the way his face look older, like he hadn’t slept well in weeks. I stared into Scott’s blue-green eyes, swallowing over the apple-sized lump in my throat. “I’m going to miss you so much,” I whispered.

AUTHOR QUOTE (from Miriam Spitzer Franklin’s website): 

Here’s one important lesson I’ve learned: If you quit when you feel discouraged, you’ll never find out what you could have done if you’d stuck with it instead.

Or, even better: The ONLY way to fail is to quit!

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Make a comment if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them. Click on the comments link below.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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FIVE FOR THE SUMMER

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

The summer months are when my reading ramps up. Whether at home or enjoying a weekend escape to an out of town destination, I have a book nearby. Here’s the top five on my upcoming summer reading list.

I LOVE YOU MICHAEL COLLINS (June 20, 2017) It’s 1969 and the country is gearing up for what looks to be the most exciting moment in U.S. history: men landing on the moon. Ten-year-old Mamie’s class is given an assignment to write letters to the astronauts. All the girls write to Neil Armstrong (“So cute!”) and all the boys write to Buzz Aldrin (“So cool!”). Only Mamie writes to Michael Collins, the astronaut who will come so close but never achieve everyone else’s dream of walking on the moon, because he is the one who must stay with the ship. After school ends, Mamie keeps writing to Michael Collins, taking comfort in telling someone about what’s going on with her family as, one by one, they leave the house thinking that someone else is taking care of her—until she is all alone except for her cat and her best friend, Buster. And as the date of the launch nears, Mamie can’t help but wonder: Does no one stay with the ship anymore?

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS (July 11, 2017) It’s 1965, Los Angeles. All twelve-year-old Sophie wants to do is write her book, star in the community play, and hang out with her friend Jennifer. But she’s the new black kid in a nearly all-white neighborhood; her beloved sister, Lily, is going away to college soon; and her parents’ marriage is rocky. There’s also her family’s new, disapproving housekeeper to deal with. When riots erupt in nearby Watts and a friend is unfairly arrested, Sophie learns that life—and her own place in it—is even more complicated than she’d once thought.

BUBBLES (July 18, 2017) Twelve-year-old Sophie Mulvaney’s world has been turned upside down. Mom lost her job at the TV station and broke up with Pratik, whom Sophie adored. Her teacher is making them do a special project about risk-taking, so Sophie gets roped into doing a triathlon. And to top it all off, she’s started seeing bubbles above people’s heads that tell her what these people are thinking. Seeing other people’s thoughts seems like it should be cool, but it’s actually just stressful. What does it mean that Pratik wishes she and Mom were with him to eat dinner? Is her best friend Kaya really going out with their other best friend, Rafael, whom Sophie also has a crush on? And can Sophie’s mom ever go back to her old self? In this funny, heartwarming novel from Abby Cooper, BUBBLES shows readers that people are more than what they seem―or what they think.

BAN THIS BOOK (September 5, 2017) An inspiring tale of a fourth-grader who fights back when her favorite book is banned from the school library—by starting her own illegal locker library!

It all started the day Amy Anne Ollinger tried to check out her favorite book in the whole world, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, from the school library. That’s when Mrs. Jones, the librarian, told her the bad news: her favorite book was banned! All because a classmate’s mom thought the book wasn’t appropriate for kids to read.

Amy Anne decides to fight back by starting a secret banned books library out of her locker. Soon, she finds herself on the front line of an unexpected battle over book banning, censorship, and who has the right to decide what she and her fellow students can read.

Reminiscent of the classic novel Frindle by Andrew Clements for its inspiring message, Alan Gratz’ Ban This Book is a love letter to the written word and its power to give kids a voice.

ALAN COLE IS NOT A COWARD (September 5, 2017) Perfect for fans of Tim Federle and Gary Schmidt, this is a hilarious and poignant tale about the trials of middle school when you’re coming of age—and coming out.

Alan Cole can’t stand up to his cruel brother, Nathan. He can’t escape the wrath of his demanding father, who thinks he’s about as exceptional as a goldfish. And—scariest of all—he can’t let the cute boy across the cafeteria know he has a crush on him.

But when Nathan discovers Alan’s secret, his older brother announces a high-stakes round of Cole vs. Cole. Each brother must complete seven nearly impossible tasks; whoever finishes the most wins the game. If Alan doesn’t want to be outed to all of Evergreen Middle School, he’s got to become the most well-known kid in school, get his first kiss, and stand up to Dad. Alan’s determined to prove—to Nathan, to the world, to himself—that this goldfish can learn to swim.

May the best Cole win.

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Finding time to do yard work this summer is going to be a real problem! There are so many great sounding books to read. I just may have to declare an early start to the warm season.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

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THE NOCTURNALS: THE FALLEN STAR for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

Dawn, a serious fox, Tobin, a sweet pangolin, and Bismark, a loud-mouthed sugar glider are back for their third adventure as the Nocturnal Brigade.

You may recall my review of book #1: THE MYSTERIOUS ABDUCTIONS , a fun story for any animal lover. Next came THE OMINOUS EYE which brought the excitement to a whole new level. The Nocturnals now bring us THE FALLEN STAR, a story that leads to a death defying climax.

No lions and tigers and bears in this world, but you do get a look at many creatures who don’t normally grace the pages of a fiction book. Ever heard of an aye-aye, bandicoot, or bilbies? You’ll learn about each as they become part of the story.

If you have not read the first two books you can still enjoy this one, but knowing how those turned out had me thinking hard as to what the mysterious blue light was and the tap-tap-tapping. I knew it had to be something other than aliens.

There’s tension with humorous sidelights coming from the multilingual mouth of Bismark. The twenty-three chapters are a manageable length to read in a classroom, before lights out, or whenever a few minutes pop up in your schedule. You’ll be glad you spent some time with the Nocturnal Brigade—three  all stars in the animal world.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2017   PAGE COUNT: 2o8

FULL PLOT (From AMAZON) In The Fallen Star, Dawn, Tobin, and Bismark awaken one evening to a disaster: all of the forest’s pomelos have been mysteriously poisoned! As the Nocturnal Brigade sets out to investigate, they encounter Iris, a mysterious aye-aye, who claims monsters from the moon are to blame. While the three heroes suspect a more earthly explanation, the animals of the valley are all falling ill. And then Tobin gets sick, too! The Nocturnal Brigade must race to find answers, and the cure, before the pomelo blight threatens to harm them all.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THE NOCTURNALS: THE FALLEN STAR by Tracey Hecht

  1. The personalities of each animal character shine with their distinctness through actions and dialog. Marvelous creations—all of them.
  2. What’s going to happen next? That’s a question you’ll be thinking about a lot as you pause between chapters. The mark of great storytelling.
  3. The story contains great messages for us humans—young and old—about respecting differences.
  4. Bismarks wild rants of love for Dawn, the fox, will put a smile on your face. They had me giggling more than once.
  5. Nothing too heavy here. Just a load of entertainment for your imagination.

FAVORITE LINES: “Ay caramba! What’s with the stench, mom ami? Bismark cried, holding his nose and fanning the air with his flap. We’re all a bit scared of these so-called invaders, but try and hold off the stink! We’ve got enough fumes flying around here.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (from THE NOCTURNALS): This link leads to wonderful resources to extend the book for the classroom or at home. Book Club Questions, Nocturnals Bingo, and many more connections to language arts and science. Go check these out. They’re wonderful extensions!

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Make a comment if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them. Just click on the Comments word below.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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