What's New? Stacking the Shelves

StS is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other blogger's got.

For review:

The Qwikpick Papers: Poop Fountain by Tom Angleberger. 134p. Amulet Books, May 20, 2014. 9781419704253. 

Publisher synopsis: This hilarious, highly original series, which so astutely captures the odd preoccupations of middle schoolers, will appeal to the many fans of the Origami Yoda series and such gross-out classics as How to Eat Fried Worms andFreckle Juice.

Lyle Hertzog and his friends Marilla and Dave expect to spend another dull holiday passing time at the local Qwikpick convenience store. Then an article in their hometown paper catches their eye—the sludge fountain at the nearby sewage plant is being retired. With this news, the three friends decide they’re not just normal kids who don’t have Christmas plans: they’re the Qwikpick Adventure Society. Their first mission: to see the “poop fountain” before it fades from glory.
Told with the mix of journal entries, doodles, and handwritten notes that has made the Origami Yoda books so appealing, this is another great series from a master chronicler of middle school.

Purchased:

The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems. unpgd. Disney/ Hyperion, April, 2014. 9781423190875.

Publisher synopsis: The Pigeon really needs a bath! Except, the Pigeon's not so sure about that. Besides, he took a bath last month! Maybe. It's going to take some serious convincing to try and get the Pigeon to take the plunge.

One is never too old for picture books and I will never tire of the Pigeon books.

My Life as a Joke by Janet Tashjian. Pictures by Jake Tashjian. 252 p. Christy Ottaviano Books/ Henry Holt and Company (BYR), April, 2014. 9780805098501.

Publisher synopsis: Derek Fallon discovers all the angst that comes with being twelve—he just wants to feel grown up, but life gets in the way with a series of mishaps that make him look like a baby. He passes out during a worm dissection in science class, falls flat on his face in gym class and gets a fat lip that causes him to lisp all day, and his plans for a monster-truck party turn into a bouncy house disaster. Why isn’t being in middle school as great as Derek imagined? Thankfully, with a little help from his friends—and, ironically, a Toys for Tots fundraiser—things seem like they could start shaping up at last.

I picked this one up to add to my school's collection before the end of the year. I'm out of money but a student really loves these. 

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to (Not) Reading by Tommy Greenwald. Illustrated by J.P. Coovert. 220 p. Square Fish/ Roaring Brook Press, May, 2012. 9781250003379.

Publisher synopsis: Charlie Joe Jackson may be the most reluctant reader ever born. And so far, he's managed to get through life without ever reading an entire book from cover to cover. But now that he's in middle school, avoiding reading isn't as easy as it used to be. And when his friend Timmy McGibney decides that he's tired of covering for him, Charlie Joe finds himself resorting to desperate measures to keep his perfect record intact.

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald is the hilarious story of an avid non-reader and the extreme lengths to which he'll go to get out of reading a book.

I've read this one with my eyes and ears. I have multiple copies in my library that get stolen regularly. I had to run out to buy a ppb today because I had a bright idea while writing a paper for a grad class today and the library was closed. 

Big Fat Disaster by Beth Fehlbaum. 286 p. Merit Press/ F+W Media Inc., April, 2014. 9781449579483. 

Publisher synopsis: Insecure, shy, and way overweight, Colby hates the limelight as much as her pageant-pretty mom and sisters love it. It's her life: Dad's a superstar, running for office on a family values platform. Then suddenly, he ditches his marriage for a younger woman and gets caught stealing money from the campaign. Everyone hates Colby for finding out and blowing the whistle on him. From a mansion, they end up in a poor relative's trailer, where her mom's contempt swells right along with Colby's supersized jeans. Then, a cruel video of Colby half-dressed, made by her cousin Ryan, finds its way onto the internet. Colby plans her own death. A tragic family accident intervenes, and Colby's role in it seems to paint her as a hero, but she's only a fraud. Finally, threatened with exposure, Colby must face facts about her selfish mother and her own shame. Harrowing and hopeful, proof that the truth that saves us can come with a fierce and terrible price, Big Fat Disaster is that rare thing, a story that is authentically new.

I also picked up two yoga books for me and two dog training books for #2 son, who is finishing his third year of medical school and decided now is the time to get a dog. Sigh. 

What's new with you?