Top Ten Tuesday - Books I've Recently Added to My TBR

TTT is hosted by Broke and Bookish. This week's theme is books recently added to the TBR.

Character, Driven by David Lubar. I highlighted this in a StS post some weeks ago and it's the next book on my pile. It's not due out for another year, but some bound manuscripts are out and I've been hearing nothing but praise for it.

Hold Me Closer: the Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan. 

Mission Titanic by Jude Watson. Book One of the Doublecross series. 

Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko. I adore Gennifer Choldenko's books. I'm actually about halfway through this one right now and I'm finding it quite engaging.

The Kidney Hypothetical: or, how to ruin your life in seven days by Lisa Yee. This arrived just yesterday. Can't wait.

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman. The long-awaited sequel to Seraphina. 

X: a novel by Ilyasah Shabazz. 

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman.

Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles. 

The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry. The eighth graders travel to DC by bus every June. I've gone on the trip a few times. It's a jam-packed three days. 

Waiting on Wednesday - National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry: 200 Poems With Photographs That Float, Zoom, and Bloom! by J. Patrick Lewis

WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we share the titles of books whose release we are eagerly anticipating.

National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry: 200 Poems With Photographs That Float, Zoom, and Bloom! Edited 

by

 

J. Patrick Lewis. 192 p. National Geographic Society, October, 15, 2015. 9781426320941. 

Publisher synopsis: 

When words in verse are paired with the awesomeness of nature, something magical happens! Beloved former U.S. Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis curates an exhuberant poetic celebration of the natural world in this stellar collection of nature poems. From trickling streams to deafening thrunderstorms to soaring mountains, discover majestic photography perfectly paired with contemporary (such as Billy Collins), classics (such as Robert Frost), and never-before-published works.

I really enjoyed his earlier compilation for Nat. Geo., Book of Animal Poetry from 2012.

Such a Little Mouse by Alice Schertle

Such a Little Mouse by Alice Schertle. Illustrated by Stephanie Yue. 32 p. Orchard Books/ Scholastic Inc., March 31, 2015. 9780545649292. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review.)

Such a Little Mouse is such a sweet little book. This little mouse has serious executive functioning skills as he finds the time to explore and enjoy friends in his environment as he prepares for the coming winter. While I must say that he is decidedly brown despite the text's description of his "smart gray coat," he is so beguiling that I forgive the discrepancy. 

The mouse is adorable and ever-so-slightly anthropomorphized. The palette is pleasing. The spreads contain nice little details of the meadow through the four seasons as well as the whimsically decorated mouse burrow. Occasional repetition and onomatopoeia make for a cozy read aloud for parents, teachers and librarians. 

What's new? Stacking the Shelves

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

Purchased:

Hold Me Closer: the Tiny Cooper story by David Levithan. 200 p. Dutton Books/ Penguin Young Readers Group, March, 2015. 9780525428848.

Publisher synopsis: Especially for those of us who ordinarily feel ignored, a spotlight is a circle of magic, with the strength to draw us from the darkness of our everyday lives. 
 
Watch out, ex-boyfriends, and get out of the way, homophobic coaches. Tiny Cooper has something to say—and he’s going to say it in song.
Filled with honesty, humor, and “big, lively, belty” musical numbers, Hold Me Closer is the no-holds-barred (and many-bars-held) entirety of the beloved musical first introduced in Will Grayson, Will Grayson, the award-winning bestseller by John Green and David Levithan.
 
Tiny Cooper is finally taking center stage . . . and the world will never be the same again.

The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne M. Valente. Unabridged audiobook on one MP3 disc. 8 hours, 22 minutes. Fairyland #3. Read by the author. Dreamscape, October, 2013. 9781624067655.

Publisher synopsis: September misses Fairyland and her friends Ell, the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday. She longs to leave the routines of home and embark on a new adventure. Little does she know that this time, she will be spirited away to the moon, reunited with her friends, and find herself faced with saving Fairyland from a moon-Yeti with great and mysterious powers.

That's what's new with me. What's new with you? Leave a link in the comments. 

Waiting on Wednesday - We are all made of molecules by Susin Nielsen

WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we share the titles of books whose release we are eagerly anticipating.

Gah! I saw this at ALAMW and almost grabbed it and didn't. (Kicks self.) I wish I noticed that it was by Susin Nielsen! I adored Word Nerd and The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen!

We are all made of molecules by Susin Nielsen. 256 p. Random House Children's Books, May 12, 2015. 9780553496864.

Publisher synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Stewart is academically brilliant but socially clueless. 
Fourteen-year-old Ashley is the undisputed “It” girl in her class, but her grades stink.

Their worlds are about to collide when Stewart and his dad move in with Ashley and her mom. Stewart is trying to be 89.9 percent happy about it, but Ashley is 110 percent horrified. She already has to hide the real reason her dad moved out; “Spewart” could further threaten her position at the top of the social ladder.

They are complete opposites. And yet, they have one thing in common: they—like everyone else—are made of molecules. 
What are you waiting on?

Non-fiction Monday: Wangari Maathai: the woman who planted millions of trees by Franck Prévot

Wangari Maathai: the woman who planted millions of trees by Franck Prévot. Illustrated by Aurélia Fronty. 45 p. Charlesbridge, January, 2015. 9781580896269. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review.)

Back in 2008, a very lovely picture book biography of Wangari Maathai was published. It was a perfect blend of succinct yet beautiful writing and pleasing, folk-style illustration. That book? Wangari's Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter. So, do we need yet another? Absolutely! 

This one is for slightly older readers. Where Winter's book is perfect for younger readers, Prévot's book supplies more detail, enabling upper elementary and middle grade researchers to glean hard, biographical facts and enjoy gorgeously lush illustrations while doing so. 

There's a bit more text, more detail, including the feminist aspects and historical context. Girls didn't typically get educated at the time but Wangari not only attended school in Kenya, she traveled to the United States to further her education. Forming the Green Belt Movement meant standing up to the government, earning her threats and imprisonment. 

The back matter includes black and white photographs, a detailed timeline, a map and note about Kenya today, a page discussing the sad state of Kenya's forests today and, finally, a page containing source notes and books and websites for further reading. 

The art, oh the art! It is luscious. I want to swim in the palette! Where Winter's art is soft and creamy, Aurélia Fronty's art is bold, edgy and evocative; it just begs the eye to linger. I really loved the black & white photos added at the end. Wangari's presence just jumps off of the page with her brilliant smile and intelligent eyes. The photo of student protesters being arrested effectively hammers home the danger those activists faced in standing up for their beliefs. 

This is a must-purchase book. Perfect for so many curriculum areas from the study of environmentalism to Kenya; from women's history to black history. The book happened to be on my desk when a fifth grade teacher was in the library. She picked it up and proclaimed it a perfect read aloud as her class happened to be researching African countries. I hope that she will be the first of many checkouts of this brilliant biography.

What's New? Stacking the Shelves

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

For review:

Chasing Secrets: a deadly surprise in the city of lies by Gennifer Choldenko. 280 p. Wendy Lamb Books/ Random House Children's Books, August 4, 2015. 9780307975775.

Publisher synopsis: San Francisco, 1900. The Gilded Age. A fantastic time to be alive for lots of people . . . but not thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy, stuck at Miss Barstow’s snobby school for girls. Lizzie’s secret passion is science, an unsuitable subject for finishing-school girls. Lizzie lives to go on house calls with her physician father. On those visits to his patients, she discovers a hidden dark side of the city—a side that’s full of secrets, rats, and rumors of the plague.
   The newspapers, her powerful uncle, and her beloved papa all deny that the plague has reached San Francisco. So why is the heart of the city under quarantine? Why are angry mobs trying to burn Chinatown to the ground? Why is Noah, the Chinese cook’s son, suddenly making Lizzie question everything she has known to be true? Ignoring the rules of race and class, Lizzie and Noah must put the pieces together in a heart-stopping race to save the people they love.
The Al Capone books are some of my all-time favorite reads. I am so looking forward to clearing my reading obligations and settling down with this one.

Tagged by Diane C. Mullen. 281 p. Charlesbridge, March, 2015. 9781580895835.

Publisher synopsis: Liam is a fourteen-year-old graffiti artist living in project housing in Minneapolis with his single mother and three younger siblings. When Liam’s estranged older brother coerces him to tag a graffiti symbol for a rival gang, Liam’s life is threatened. Due to his apathetic attitude in the classroom and on the baseball field, Liam’s private-school scholarship is also threatened. His mother decides to send him to Lake Michigan for the summer to live with her best friend, Kat, a sculptor and art teacher, Liam soon delves into the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Pablo Picasso, and his own personal aesthetics. He’s encouraged to consider his art seriously and how it might contribute to a greater community. Having to decide between staying with Kat and returning home to his siblings who need him, Liam’s story inspires him to reinvent himself for the better.

Currents by Jane Petrlik Smolik. 326 p. Charlesbridge, September, 20, 2015. 9781580896481.

Publisher synopsis: This middle-grade historical novel follows three young girls living very different lives who are connected by one bottle that makes two journeys across the ocean.

It's 1854 and eleven-year-old Bones is a slave on a Virginia plantation. When she finds her name in the slave-record book, she rips it out, rolls it up, and sets it free, corked inside a bottle alongside the carved peach pit heart her long-lost father made for her. Across the Atlantic on the Isle of Wight, motherless Lady Bess Kent and her sister discover Bones's bottle half-buried on the beach. Leaving Bones's name where it began and keeping the peach pit heart for herself, Bess hides her mother's pearl-encrusted cross necklace in the bottles so her scheming stepmother, Elsie, can't sell it off like she's done with other family heirlooms. When Harry, a local stonemason's son, takes the fall for Elsie's thefts, Bess works with her seafaring friend, Chap, to help him escape. She gives the bottle to Harry and tells him to sell the cross. Back across the Atlantic in Boston, Mary Margaret Casey and her father are at the docks when Mary Margaret spies something shiny. Her father fishes it out of the water, and they use the cross to pay for a much needed doctor's visit for Mary Margaret's ailing sister. As Bess did, Mary Margaret leaves Bones's name where it belongs. An epilogue returns briefly to each girl, completing the circle of the three unexpectedly interconnected lives.

What's new with you? Leave a link in the comments.

Waiting on Wednesday - Graceful by Wendy Mass

WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we share the titles we are eagerly anticipating.

 Graceful by Wendy Mass. 272 p. Scholastic Inc., April 28, 2015. 9780545773133.

Publisher synopsis: An exciting new story in the bestselling Willow Falls series from Wendy Mass!

Angelina D'Angelo has left town to see the world. It's now Grace's turn to use her magic to protect the people of Willow Falls, and she is up to the challenge. This is her destiny, after all. But destiny is a funny thing-it doesn't always behave the way you'd expect it to.

Mysterious postcards from Angelina begin showing up in the mail, Grace's parents are freaking out with worry, and something BIG is coming to town that will affect everybody who lives there. But all Grace is powerful enough to do is turn leftover meatloaf into pizza.

Fortunately, she's not alone. She has Team Grace on her side! Amanda, Leo, Rory, Tara, David, and Connor know a thing or two about magic and how it works. But none of them are prepared for what's coming, and none of them know how to stop it. Life in Willow Falls is about to change forever.

Any book by Wendy Mass is an automatic purchase for my library. I am a huge fan, as are my students. The day I learned of this new Willow Falls addition, a sixth grader returned The Last Gift, saying, "There! I've read them all!" I can't wait to tell her there's more!

Cold as Ice by Sarah Mlynowski

Cold as Ice by Sarah Mlynowski.  Whatever After #6. 163 p.Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., November, 2014. 9780545627344. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review.)

In this sixth installment, puppy Prince manages to hop into the magic mirror at midnight. How he manages this when the rules for entry require knocking on the mirror three times, is not explained. Abby, our narrator, was trying to lure Prince from the top of the stairs. She wanted to keep her promise to her parents never to enter the basement at night. Abby and Jonah have no choice but to follow Prince in through the mirror. They have to save their dog!

It's a good thing the heat in the house rather coincidentally doesn't work and they are both wearing multiple layers of pjs. They tumble into the realm of the Snow Queen, where it is perpetually winter. Though Abby is familiar with the story, at first she thinks they have ended up in Frozen. Luckily, Jonah listens to his older sister and corrects her. Frozen was based on the Snow Queen. Silly Abby. Still, that connection is liable to perk up the ears of children who have not yet discovered this series of fractured fairy tales. I send my review copies of this series down to the elementary school where, my colleague says, she can't keep the books on the shelves. 

Sure, there are plenty of plot contrivances but young readers won't notice. Abby is an engaging narrator. She and her brother have a neat relationship. The sibling dynamics and dialogue ring true. There's action and humor and a bit of fairy tale education along the way. Not a bad way to spend your budget $$.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books for Readers Who Like X

TTT is hosted by Broke and Bookish. This week's theme is rather open-ended - top ten books for readers who like X. I chose books with romance for tweens. Every year, it seems, I have one or two fifth graders who are all about crushes and potential boyfriends and kissing. Romance isn't my favorite genre but add the fact that the romance for tweens should be on the tamer side... 

In no particular order:

Shug by Jenny Han. 

I just adore this book. This is the cover of the paperback. My hardcover sports just the red popsicle. I had forgotten that this was Han's first novel. My seventh and eighth graders just love her Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy. 

Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli. 

This one is a slightly harder sell for some reason but I love it. Perhaps the newer cover will be more enticing since it mirrors Stargirl a bit. I thought the old cover was perfectly wonderful.

The Secret Language of Girls (trilogy) by Frances O'Roark Dowell.

I love this one because one character is left behind but stays true to herself. The evolution of the friendship in the entire trilogy rings true and is quite satisfying.

My Life in Dioramas by Tara Altebrando

This one is not due out till April 21. My review is scheduled to run April 13.  

Love and Other Fiascos by Amy Ignatow.

Book six in this wildly popular series is all about couples and crushes.

Drama by Raina Telgemeier.

The cover of this wonderful graphic novel says it all. None of Tegemeier's inventive, engaging books sit on the shelf for very long.

Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes.

The verse novel features Joylin, who is an extraordinary basketball player who likes nothing better than playing hoops with her best guy friend, Jake. But now Jake's all weird, as is her best gal friend. Why do things have to change.

Revenge of the Flower Girls by Jennifer Ziegler.

This one is just plain fun. The triplets' much older sister is getting married to someone that is just wrong for her and the girls are trying to sabotage the wedding and get their sister back with her ex-boyfriend - the one she should be marrying. This cover is missing the bride and groom under the arch. 

Crush by Gary Paulsen.

This is the only one of the ten that I haven't read. I have read the companion books and my students who have read it report that it's great.

Boys are Dogs by Leslie Margolies.

I did not realize till I looked this up to grab the image that it was the first in a series. 

Little Red's Riding 'Hood by Peter Stein

Little Red's Riding 'Hood by Peter Stein. Illustrated by Chris Gall. 32 p. Orchard Books/ Scholastic Inc., February, 2015. 9780545609692. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review.)

This isn't the first time that Red Riding Hood has been fractured; nor is it the first time that Red is a boy. Come to think of it, the automotive angle has been done before as well. In Neal Shusterman's second entry in his Dark Fusion series, Red was a sixteen-year-old boy who cruised his neighborhood is a red mustang and grandma has been kidnapped by a gang of werewolves. That is most decidedly YA fare.

Little Red's Riding 'Hood is much lighter - filled with automotive humor both visually and in the text. Not all the humor is successful but most is clever and fun. The characters are motor vehicles. Little Red is a zippy scooter. The wolf is a menacing monster truck and Granny is a pink golf cart. It's a zany retelling which remains fairly faithful to the "original." The illustrations are peppy. The palette is bright. Readers will enjoy looking for the visual jokes such as "Skid's Brake Repair."

This would be a fun addition to a fractured fairy tale unit.

When Viral Internet Memes Turn Into Books

I had a Barnes and Noble date with my husband this past Sunday morning, after my yoga class. These dates usually involve trying to get the comfy chairs in the cafe. He browses the mystery section and I browse the Children's and YA sections. We then grab coffee and snacks and browse through our selections to make a pile that we'll purchase. I love these dates.

I am way behind in my picture book reading and found plenty to dig into. Two of the books, coincidentally also happened to be viral internet memes before being turned into picture books. Here's a mini review of both of them. 

These aren't the first viral memes to be brought to print. Grumpy Cat hit the shelves in July of 2013. There might be more. Let me know in the comments. Oh! Wait, there IS more, Dog Shaming from the fall of 2013 and a series of web comics was made into a book called, My Dog. The Paradox from May of 2014.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on: things about me by Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp. (Marcel the Shell series #1) 42 p. Penguin Young Readers Group, November, 2011. 9781595144553.

I don't know why this one happened to be featured in the display. I assumed it was new but now I see it has been around since 2011. I really enjoyed the stop-motion film on YouTube of this cute little guy so I sort of "read" the book with his voice. I did find the font, while beautiful a bit difficult to read and know that many younger readers would struggle to read it. The humor translated fairly well from the film. The illustrations were watery and lovely. 

Nap Time with Theo & Beau by Jessica Shyba. 40 p. Feiwel & Friends, February, 2015.  9781250059062.

I can't think of anything more beautiful than a sleeping baby. Or a sleeping puppy. Put the two of them together and my heart just melts.  I saw a link to a Huff Post article about the author's blog and the photos a while ago. The tow-headed toddler is ridiculously adorable and has the most amazing eyelashes I have ever seen. These supposedly candid photographs feature the best friends napping in a variety of positions. They look professionally photographed. I want Beau's stylist. His clothes are very cool. Sweet commentary accompany each photo. Best yet, Theo was adopted and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will support shelters.

Waiting on Wednesday - Cleopatra in Space: the thief and the sword by Mike Malhack

WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we share the titles of books whose release we are eagerly anticipated. 

Cleopatra in Space: the thief and the sword by Mike Malhack. Book 2. 192 p. Scholastic Inc., April 28, 2015. 9780545528450.

Publisher synopsis: Cleopatra's space adventure in the REALLY far future continues!

When a mysterious thief steals the ancient sword Cleo recovered in CLEOPATRA IN SPACE, BOOK ONE: TARGET PRACTICE, Cleo is determined to get it back, but her teachers at Yasiro Academy forbid her from risking her life. Stuck at school, Cleo is having a hard time adjusting to her newfound popularity and responsibility. And when she learns more about the prophecy that names her the savior of the galaxy and the time tablets that could decide her fate, she must go on a dangerous journey to find them before they can fall into the wrong hands.

Top Ten Tuesday - Faves from Last 2 - 3 Years

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by Broke and Bookish. This week's theme is: "Top Ten Books You Would Classify As ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOKS from the past 3 years (you can extend it to 5 if you need to)."

YA: Alphabetically by title:

All the Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry. Many scenes from this provocative book are seared into my memory.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young. I read this with my ears and found the performance especially riveting.

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer. This Cinderella tale with a sci/ fi twist is so interesting! There's suspense. There's the potential for romance. There's great world-building.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. Totally confusing until suddenly, it's not. Then, gut-wrenching.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone (trilogy) by Laini Taylor. This is one trilogy where the heroine didn't lose her kick-ass quality in book 2. Days of Blood and Starlight shook me up in the best possible way. The third book, Dreams of Gods and Monsters was a phenomenal ending.

I Pledge Allegiance (Vietnam series) by Chris Lynch. I recently finished the fifth and final (?) book in this series. I needed to read every single one. Four friends take a pledge that if one gets drafted to fight in Vietnam, they all go. And they did, each into a different branch of the service. Each got a book told from his own POV. In the fifth book, all four weigh in. 

Legend Book 1 in the Legend series by Marie Lu. Another trilogy where there's no second book slump and the kick-ass heroine stays kick-ass. Also has the perfect ending.

Lockwood & Co: the screaming staircase by Jonathan Stroud. I did something very rare. I reread this rip-roaring yarn twice - once with my eyes and again with my ears. Book two, The Whispering Skull is out and I can't wait to read it!

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner. This was another rare reread for me. This alternate history universe was terrifyingly real. 

Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy. This supernatural tale about a skeleton detective and his human sidekick is hysterically funny and quite suspenseful. I believe that I've read five of them with my ears. I recently learned that many more installments have been published. Must check into that soon.



As I was perusing my reading lists from the last few years, I jotted down middle grade titles as well. I had intended to split the list 50/ 50 as I usually do. Unfortunately, I came up with more than ten for each level. So, I'm begging forgiveness instead of asking for permission and making a list of 10 middle grade favorites as well.

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle and its sequel, Five, Six, Seven, Nate! I absolutely adore Nate and Tim Federle for writing these books about pursuing one's dream and being one's self no matter what.

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. I fell in love with Willow Chance on page 1 in this intensely moving story of loss and belonging.

Gone Fishing by Tamera Will Wissinger. Such an adorable story in many different kinds of verse. Perfect for the LA teachers doing a poetry unit because, not only is the verse engaging, there's a section at the end explaining the rules of each variety of poem! But wait! There's more! A sequel, Gone Camping, is in the works and set to publish in 2017!

Hero's Guide to Saving the Kingdom (...Storming the Castle & ...Being an Outlaw) by Christopher Healy. These fractured fairy tales are such a hoot!  Not only are they laugh-out-loud funny, they are smartly written. They are quite popular at my school among both boys and girls.

One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. My heart belongs to Ivan. I was so pleased when it won the Newbery Award! Such a memorable voice.

P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams-Garcia. This sequel to One Crazy Summer picks right up when the girls return to Brooklyn. There are big changes awaiting them. The final book in the trilogy, Gone Crazy in Alabama is due April 21.

Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer. This lovely debut nestled deep in my heart and is perfect for my girls who love weepies.

Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington. Another (children's) debut, another wonderful weepie. I recommended this to one of the seventh grade LA teachers. She loved it so much, she returned it with a present - my very own plant that she named Plant. (It's a Christmas cactus and it's still alive though I haven't gotten it to bloom yet.)

Texting the Underworld by Ellen Booream. Oh my, how I loved and laughed my way through this book! Every kid I have gotten to read it returns it with a big smile. 

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage. Of course, it's sequel, Ghosts of Tupelo Landing is as charming and hilarious. I hear there's a third book, due in October called, The Odds of Getting Even. Can't wait for that one. I'll be featuring it in a WoW post on April 22.

Thanks for hanging in there! Leave a link to your top ten in the comments.