Counting by 7s for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Greg Pattridge

Before diving into this first review for 2015, here are the results of the drawing  for two fantastic book packages:

The four book package goes to….Rosi Hollinbeck at The Write Stuff

The three book package goes to…Andrea Mack at That’s Another Story

Congratulations and I will be emailing you for addresses.

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To start the new year I’ve been cleaning up my list of books to be read (TBR). One title that had been on there for over a year can finally be scratched from the list as today is all about this popular title from late 2013 – COUNTING BY 7s.7s

It reminded me of watching a blockbuster movie after everyone else had seen it months earlier. After listening and reading all the chatter, you know the best parts and the plot, but now its time to formulate your own opinion. So… it was good. I was hoping for great but maybe the timing wasn’t right or was it the POV? I’d spent seven of my own teaching years in a full time program for highly gifted kids and wished the entire book had been told from Willow Chance’s gifted mind. Instead it bounced from Willow’s first person narration to numerous third person views of the other characters.

Despite my personal preferences there was still much to love about this unusual story.

PUBLICATION DATE:2013   WORD COUNT: 62,677  READING LEVEL: 5.6

FULL PLOT (From Amazon):  Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life . . . until now.

Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT COUNTING BY 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

  1. A garden provides the parallel for growth from the characters and the plants themselves. It’s a perfect pairing.
  2. Willow is brilliant, funny, and perceptive but so are the cast of characters around her.
  3. Willow’s plunge into the foster care system is a realistic look at how it works in our own backyards for so many kids.
  4. Dell, the counselor. He’s awful at his job, but slowly he begins to see that he can be better. I’ve known quite a few Dell’s and they need to read this book.
  5. Lesson learned: Labels can do more harm than good sometimes.

FAVORITE LINES: On the 7th day of the 7th month (Is it any wonder I love that number) my new parents drove north to a hospital 257 miles from their home, where they named me after a cold-climate tree and changed the world. Or at least our world.

QUOTE FROM AUTHOR: “…So I think I was drawn to write about Willow in a personal way from my own family.”

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

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Favorite Middle Grade Reads 2014

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

I’m all filled up. Not from holiday dining but from reading a total of 68 MG books this year! What better time than now to celebrate my favorites for 2014.cup Yes, it’s the second annual Always in the Middle GOLDEN CUP AWARD. Doesn’t  the GOLDEN CUP take your breath away? I can’t part with the shiny goblet, but there are two fantastic giveaways explained at the end of this post. But first, on to the award winners…

FAVORITE BOOK with a FEMALE PROTAGONIST: THE PERFECT PLACE by Teresa E. Harris

FAVORITE BOOK with a MALE PROTAGONIST: NICKLE BAY NICK by Dean Pitchford

FAVORITE SETTING: Rural Minnesota in TURN LEFT AT THE COW by Lisa Bullard

FAVORITE CHARACTER NAME: Dennis “Donuts” Murphy in SORRY YOU’RE LOST by Matt Blackstone

FAVORITE OPENING LINE: (tie)I would never have been accused of stealing the koala if Vance Jessup hadn’t made me drop a human arm in the shark tank. (POACHED)

There were so many dead bodies stuffed into Gram’s freezer chest that it was kind of like wandering through a cryonics lab. (TURN LEFT AT THE COW)

FAVORITE PARENTS: Too many to list. But they all did the most important thing for their middle grade children: They provided a chance for them to discover success.

BIGGEST PARENTAL DISAPPOINTMENT: The father in ABSOLUTELY ALMOST by Lisa Graff

BEST COVER: THE PET WAR by Allan Goodrow9780545513197_p0_v1_s260x420

FAVORITE ENDING: JACK STRONG TAKES A STAND by Tommy Greenwald

FUNNIEST READ:  BIG BOOK OF SUPERHEROES by Bart King

FAVORITE FRIENDSHIP: Andi and Colin in ANDI UNEXPECTED by Amanda Flower

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If you have made it this far, it’s contest time!

Just comment about your own favorites from one of the categories above. Your choice can be any book – MG or otherwise. I’ll leave the comments open until next Saturday, January 3rd (8 pm Eastern). Two winners will be drawn. The first name will receive these four like new hard cover MG books:

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Second place will receive these three like new hard cover MG books:

books3

Gook luck in the drawing!! It’s time to end this post as I have to get a head start on my goal of reading 75 MG books for 2015. Happy New Year!

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Merry Christmas…

Posted on December 25, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

… from my writing window. Have a great day with your families!

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THE PERFECT PLACE for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this debut from Teresa E. Harris. The cover looked intriguing – aperfectplace young African-American girl skipping a rock across a pond. It’s written in first person present – the POV I had been using to write my current story. So, I opened up the pages and dove into one of the most beautiful and heartfelt novels I’ve read this year.

You’ll find humor, a small mystery, and the absolute spot-on voice of Treasure, our young protagonist. The perfect place for me this holiday season was THE PERFECT PLACE.

PUBLICATION DATE:2014   Page Count: 263

FULL PLOT (From Amazon):  Treasure’s dad has disappeared and her mom sets out to track him down, leaving twelve-year-old Treasure and her little sister, Tiffany, in small-town Virginia with their eccentric, dictatorial Great-Aunt Grace. GAG (as the girls refer to her) is a terrible cook, she sets off Treasure’s asthma with her cat and her chain smoking, and her neighbors suspect her in the recent jewel thefts. As the hope of finding their dad fades, the girls and their great-aunt begin to understand and accommodate one another. When a final dash to their dad’s last known address proves unsuccessful, Treasure has to accept that he’s gone for good. When she goes back to Great-Aunt Grace’s, it is the first time she has returned to a place instead of just moving on. Convincing, fully realized characters, a snarky narrative voice, and laugh-aloud funny dialogue make The Perfect Place a standout among stories of adjustment and reconfigured families.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT THE PERFECT PLACE by Teresa E. Harris

  1. This could have turned into a whiny “Whoa me, Daddy left us again” kind of story but it was far from that. The setting along with Treasure’s authentic 12-year-old voice made sure to keep the story moving into areas of discovery for herself, her sister, and her mother.
  2. Treasure has asthma and the scenes that brought her condition into focus were realistically written.
  3. When the secondary characters are as interesting as Treasure, you know you are in for a great ride. Great-Aunt Grace would be any kids’ nightmare, younger sister, Tiffany, is often a pain, and a quiet boy named Terrance is the perfect new friend. Treasure’s interactions with each of them were memorable, often heart-breaking on one page and hilarious on the next.
  4. We have a smart African-American girl as the central character. Enough said!
  5. The ending you knew was coming arrives, but then it takes off in a different direction. “Surprise your readers” is an often heard quote and the author succeeded.

FAVORITE LINES:

I’m either going to get some kind of poisoning from eating undercooked pork or lose a tooth. She places something in front of me that looks like a bowl of spitballs.

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Next week for MMGM I have another huge giveaway to celebrate my favorite MG reads of 2014. Yes, it’s the 2nd Annual Golden Cup Awards. cupI hope you will stop by for a chance to win some great books to start your new year off in the perfect way.

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

MMGM2

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ADVENTURE ON NEMESIS MOUNTAIN for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

I recently had the privilege of interviewing author Annie McMahon on her blog tour for the release of ADVENTURE ON NEMESIS MOUNTAIN. A few days later my luck continued as I was chosen from all blog tour hosts to receive an autographed copy.

The story is one that will hit home with many young readers. For what seems like his Adventure on Nemesis Mountainentire life, Emilio has been prey to to the teasing and put downs from his own nemesis, Hans. Now the two boys are thrown together in a survival situation after getting lost in the mountains. It’s a story about fighting back, friendship, and seeing the positive in others. The tale is full of positive messages that will stay with you long after reading. Spend some time reading it yourself, or use it as a read-aloud. You’ll also learn a thing or two about the outdoors. A great story makes for a great debut and this one has both.

PUBLICATION DATE:2014   Page Count: 119

FULL PLOT (From Amazon):  Emilio would rather eat a slimy worm than miss the fifth grade field trip. Nemesis Mountain must be full of rare leaf specimens and bugs for his collection. Besides, he needs a break from the playground and Hans’s nonstop teasing. His excitement is squashed when he gets lost in the woods with his worst enemy. Alone in the forest, the two boys battle to survive the harsh wilderness, facing challenges that will change their lives forever.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT ADVENTURE ON NEMESIS MOUNTAIN by Annie McMahon

  1. Emilio is not a wimp. It was refreshing to see him not just sit and take the constant taunts, but to finally have a breaking point and react.
  2. Change comes about for both characters. It’s realistic and I was smiling at The End.
  3. The scenes in the wilderness had me turning the pages as fast as I could read them. Wild animals, darkness setting in, and a scarcity of food and water brought those feelings of helplessness right to the reader as if you were alongside for the ride.
  4. There’s room for more… I liked these characters so much it would be great to see them return in a sequel.
  5. The cover is gorgeous. It only hints at what is to come with the two characters and a wilderness setting. Nice job, Dawne Dominique.

FAVORITE LINES:

He slammed his hands on the desk, toppling the pencil holder with a clang. “I’m sick and tired of you!”

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

MMGM2

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THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE BEAGLE for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

Guilty as charged: I judged this book by its cover. Who could resist this little guy with his caramel beaglecoloring and brown eyes? His name even fits – Cadbury. This story is a debut for a new MG author. Her picture inside the book jacket looked familiar and the reason is Catherine Lloyd Burns has acted in numerous TV shows and movies.

It was a book I was ready to love, but by the last page it was more of a like than a love. Girls are the center of attention here along with a pretty hefty page count for a debut. Boys and reluctant readers will be looking for something else.

Who is it for? Tween girls who will more than likely adore its content. Yes, it’s sad but also shows a girl realistically trying to deal with the mixed-up emotions of those middle grade years. Female teachers and moms may smile and see themselves. It’s good bibliotherapy for girls who struggle with friendship, family, and loss along with understanding the world around them.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2014   Page Count: 331

FULL PLOT (From Amazon):  Set in a Manhattan, this is the story of feisty eleven-year-old Veronica Morgan, who believes that a furry lemon beagle from the neighborhood pet store will be the solution to the endless worries she has about life in general and friendship in particular. This is a problem, since her bumbling psychiatrist parents won’t buy her the puppy she wants or stop meddling in her life at her challenging new school. But things never turn out the way you plan, particularly if you never stop expecting the worst to happen, and haven’t taken a chance on being a true friend yourself.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BEAGLE by Catherine Lloyd Burns

  1. I found life in this Jewish family fascinating as they struggled trying to cover both their own faith and the Christian faith around the holidays. Very eye opening.
  2. Both of Veronica’s parents are psychiatrists, providing all sorts of interesting and often very funny dinner time dialog.
  3. Yes, tears may flow as your read parts of this book, but by the end you will feel a warm glow in your heart.
  4. An all girls private school is something rarely used as a setting in children’s literature. Another eye-opening experience as I am used to the goings on in more traditional public schools.
  5. Life in Manhattan. Quirky characters become friends and that might never happen in a suburban setting. From the doorman to the pet shop employees, all of them give young Veronica a different viewpoint.

FAVORITE LINE:

If you could reach out, there was always a hand to hold, somewhere in the world.

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

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DANGEROUS DECEPTION for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

This was my second Peg Kehret novel having previously enjoyed RUNAWAY TWIN. I’ve got a few more to cover as this is her 49th kids book to date. Quite the prolific writer!

For the most 51+f6uZ3HfL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_part this story is written through the first person voice of 12-year-old Emmy Rushford. A few chapters shift to a third person POV when the police get involved in the story.

Coming from a community that has experienced several horrid child abduction cases in recent years, I cringed at the choices Emmy made. If a child wants to know what not to do when confronting a stranger, it’s all right here. As is whose car you should not be riding in and when not telling an adult is a bad thing.

The story is suspenseful and doesn’t take long to read. I’m only recommending this one in hopes it will make a child think twice before making any of Emmy’s decisions. (One added note: Change the cover. Much too dark for my tastes.)

PUBLICATION DATE:2014   Page Count: 191

FULL PLOT (From Amazon):  Peg Kehret includes humor, animal rescue, and heart-pounding suspense in this story about good intentions gone wrong. Sixth-grader Emmy Rushford decides to provide food for a needy family, but the project turns perilous when Emmy must deal with a car crash, a cat thrown into a Dumpster, and a belligerent neighbor. Then she discovers an apartment full of stolen goods. Her courageous efforts to help hungry children, rescue the cat, and break up a ring of thieves soon put her life at risk.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT DANGEROUS DECEPTION by Peg Kehret

  1. Emmy is a very compassionate girl and truly cares about others. It’s a great lesson in remembering there is always someone in need of help.
  2. The actions of the police and mother were very believable. This means the author did her research.
  3. When Emmy’s poor choices catch up to her, the page turning suspense is at its highest. You know the writing is spot on when your stomach is twisted into a knot.
  4. I always read every word in a novel including any after story notes. In this book Peg Kehret has included the standard ‘Acknowledgements’ page with this one line that shows what writers must do to make their words real: To Chelsea Kehret for allowing me to tie her to a chair so that I could describe her efforts to get free.
  5. Emmy has some strong thoughts about obesity and kids. It was nice to see her act positively and make some changes.

FAVORITE LINES:

Most of all, I thought how it would feel to have no food except what strangers brought to the door.

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

MMGM2

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THE ROOKIE BOOKIE for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

You know where this story is headed when young Mitch Sloan starts taking bets for football games in the halls61NAqO7mYxL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_ of Jonasburg Middle School. Yes, it’s not long before the adults in that building shut down his business forever. Too bad since he’s good with numbers and has a great business sense. His slightly off beat parents seem to have neither as they work to make ends meet in their art studio. His brother is equally number challenged and more into  playing on the high school football team.

The charm of this story happens when Mitch stops being a bookie. He’s lost the friendship of Jamie (I. Do. Not. Have. A. Crush. On. Her.), other kids in school despise him, and the trust of his parents may be gone forever. He takes his love of numbers and odds, using them in a positive way in hopes of winning back the support he lost.

The story is told in Mitch’s own spot on 12-year-old voice and though not laugh out loud funny, the way he pursues life had me smiling. It moves along at a fast pace and is not really a sports book, more about a kid who likes sports. It’s an unusual collaboration between two authors who grew up together, both with a passion for sports. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

PUBLICATION DATE:2014   PAGE COUNT: 262

FULL PLOT (From Amazon):  New kid Mitch Sloan wants to fit in, but his nerdy love of statistics and making money isn’t winning him any friends in his sports-loving town–until he finds the perfect way to attain instant popularity. But running a football betting ring at school eventually turns sour, and Mitch loses the only real friend he’s made. He’ll have to win her back by using his brainpower for good and helping the school football team achieve victory–if they’ll listen to the advice of a former bookie!

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT THE ROOKIE BOOKIE by L. Jon Wertheim & Tobias Moskowitz

  1. Math, especially statistics, can be a difficult task to weave into an MG book. The authors have succeeded in an interesting and understandable way.
  2. It’s also unusual to find behavioral science in a children’s book, and here even adults might learn a thing or two about the way we approach purchasing and advertising.
  3. The entire story sounds very possible, unlike a few others I’ve read this year that have you saying “No way that could have happened.”
  4. I enjoyed the all too true to life situation where Mitch is the polar opposite of his brother and parents. He’s better at analyzing sports than playing them and his business sense is off the charts compared to his parents.
  5. The way this one ends, I smell a sequel. I’ll be the first one in line to read it.

FAVORITE LINES:

All of a sudden I saw Jamie in a dress with one of those strange little bouquets of flowers tied to her wrist, and me in a suit. Like I even own a suit. It was a very disturbing image…

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

MMGM2

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A Reluctant Choice: Goodbye to R.A.

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

One of the more popular series in the early days of my classroom was THE CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE books. CYOA_JourneyUndertheSea_1024x1024Boys especially gravitated to the decision making that occurred at the end of a chapter – If you want to risk death go to page 30. If you prefer to tell your parents skip ahead to p. 41. I made that one up, but you get the idea. The thought of not having to read an entire book or reread it for a different experience was appealing to many. I had several students reading every path to the end, often exceeding 40 different ways.

cyoa013185 of the original series were published in the 80’s and 90’s, reportedly selling 250 million copies. New titles continue to be published today. No small feat. The series is even credited for the strategy used today by many video games, putting the user in a role and forcing them to make decisions at critical junctures.

There have been numerous writers of the books, but the original publisher and frequent author, R.A. Montgomery passed away earlier this month. His final title released just this past September was GUS vs. THE ROBOT KING. RobotKing cover.indd

Thanks, R.A., for creating interest in reading for many reluctant readers. May your next adventure be as fun as your last.

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THE SECRET OF THE KEY for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

This is the fourth and final novel in Marianne Malone’s Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventures. I had read the first in 2010 and never found the time to revisit Ruthie and Jack’s magical time travel stories in books two and three. I took the chance on this one 9780307977212_p0_v1_s260x420hoping I hadn’t missed too much. Thankfully, I was updated throughout the pages as to what occurred since my last visit.

The series would appeal mostly to history loving readers. You experience many famous places and events from the past. It’s adventurous but not at a break-neck speed, so probably not the best for a read-aloud. The author went to great lengths to ensure authenticity of the real world and people. Her quote in the Acknowledgements should be a great reminder to all writers:

Writing is a lot like gardening; seeds germinate, flowers bloom, weeds grow, and great effort is necessary.

PUBLICATION DATE:2014   WORD COUNT: 49,253  READING LEVEL: 5.1

FULL PLOT (From Amazon):  Chicago sixth graders Ruthie and Jack think they’ve learned everything about the magic of the Art Institute’s Thorne Rooms. But the magic starts to act strangely when Ruthie and Jack discover two rings that are out of place—and out of time—and a portal that shouldn’t be open but somehow is. Ruthie and Jack follow the clues to seventeenth-century England and the Brownlow house, where they meet the Brownlow’s governess, Rebecca. But Rebecca has a few secrets of her own—and she might even be in the wrong century! Can Ruthie and Jack discover the truth about Rebecca’s mysterious past, or will they end up stuck in the wrong century themselves? Their quest for answers takes them from 1930s New York City and San Francisco to turn-of-the-century China. The only one who can truly answer their questions may be the woman who started it all: the room’s creator, Narcissa Thorne. But to talk to Mrs. Thorne, they’ll have to go back in time and find her!

Unlock the magic . . . in the exciting conclusion to the Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventures!

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT THE SECRET OF THE KEY by Marianne Malone

  1. Greg Call’s wonderful full page illustrations scattered throughout the book. The black and white sketches serve as a portrait to the time period or event being explored.
  2. I visited the actual Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago several years ago. These are the 68 rooms this series explores. How fun it has been to experience them again in this book and learn a bit more about their creator, Narcissa Thorne.
  3. I’ve read many time travel books, but this has one of the more unique methods for traveling back in time. Made you wish it was really possible.
  4. Like all good series, this one has a nice conclusion that tied up all the events that took place. Made me nod and smile at the same time.
  5. The historical snippets like Winston Churchill’s speech, the 1939 World’s Fair, China’s Boxer Rebellion, and King Tut exhibit happen all too quick. Hopefully an interested reader will find the author notes and resources in the back of the book to acquire deeper information. Most interesting!

FAVORITE LINE:

She reached out toward the door but it was slipping away from her faster than she could react, shrinking to a tiny dot before disappearing completely.

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

MMGM2

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