Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon

The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook, ~5 hours. Read by Sullivan Jones. Listening Library, August, 2018. 9780525643524. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library. Own hc edition.) 

Have you ever met a new friend who is fun and exciting and a bit older? Middle Grade Monday features The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon. Ten-year-old Caleb and eleven-year-old Bobby Gene are looking forward to summer but live in the most boring town ever with the most over-protective father ever. Bobby Gene is fine with this; but Caleb wants adventure and finds it when sixteen-year-old foster child Styx Malone moves in nearby. He oozes cool and seems to like Caleb. He likes Caleb so much he's even willing to let the boys in a what he calls "The Great Escalator Trade." What could go wrong?

Magoon is such a versatile author. From gritty realism to reimagined Robin Hood, she excels at developing characters we find interesting and come to care about. Readers will relate to the brothers' dilemmas after hooting about the fact that they traded their baby sister for a sack of fire works. This is a story that invites you in to sit awhile. Before you know it, you never want to leave. And can't, because first you just want to find out what hijinks is going to happen next. Then, once the real action starts, there's no way to close the book until you've read till the end.

Hilarious and heartbreaking, you won't soon forget Caleb, Bobby Gene and Styx. New to me narrator, Sullivan Jones nails the performance with unique voices and perfect pacing. Read with your eyes. Read with your ears. Make time to read The Season of Styx Malone.

Fact Friday: The Hyena Scientist by Sy Montgomery

The Hyena Scientist by Sy Montgomery. Photographed by Nic Bishop. 70 p. Scientists in the Field series. May, 2018.9780544635111. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Anyone who reads this blog with any regularity knows of my love for this series. Certainly my seventh graders do as the series is a huge part of the selection of scientists at work books they have to choose from for a unit on narrative non-fiction. Sy Montgomery has written quite a few of the books and Nic Bishop has photographed quite of few of them as well. They have outdone themselves here. 

Montgomery was the morning keynote at SLJ Basecamp in Boston this past August, where attendees received copies of the newly published book. I never thought I would come to appreciate hyenas, but did first after hearing her speak and then again reading this superb book. 

The reader gets up close and personal not only with the hyenas but with the team of scientists, led by Kay Holekamp, who has studied spotted hyenas in Kenya for thirty years. Each scientist who works at camp observing and recording data about the hyenas gets a page of biography. Montgomery and Bishop got to go out on observations and Montgomery even got to tend to a male hyena who was darted in order to be tagged and studied! The photos Bishop took reveal hyenas in all their glory as well as other animals in the ecosystem. 

Backmatter includes fast facts about spotted hyenas, books and websites for further reading, acknowledgments and an index. I expect to hear it winning something come January as it has garnered three starred reviews, popped up on many year-end best lists and was named a CYBILS Middle Grade Non-fiction Finalist on January 1.

The Hyena Scientist is a first-purchase addition to any library collection! 

Middle Grade Monday: The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matthew Landis

The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matthew Landis. 300 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Young Readers Group, February, 2018. 9780735227989. (Review of finished copy borrowed from the public library.)

Middle Grade Monday features The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matthew Landis. Twelve-year-old Oliver Prichard is a Civil War history buff. He knows everything about the battles, generals, successes and failures of the conflict. He even takes part in re-enactments.  So when his seventh grade social studies teacher announces a huge project centered around the war, Ollie knows he has it nailed. He doesn't even need a partner. In fact, he would prefer to work alone. But when he's partnered with slacker, Ella Berry and she picks the name of Private Raymond Stone out of the hat, Oliver's dreams for a fantastic project fizzle. Private Stone never saw combat and died of dysentery. Still, he wants a good grade, so the two head to the local historical society to read some primary source documents and a friendship grows. 

Middle school dynamics are spot on in this terrific read. Well, save for the use of cell phones and ear buds during the school day. Small quibble, maybe it's just my school that bans them in the classroom. No surprise that the author is a middle school social studies teacher.

Everything about this book is appealing from the cover to the voice. There's plenty of humor, a relatable main character and history! I loved how re-enactments and historical societies were seamlessly woven into the story. I can't wait to buy this for my own library and share it with my students.

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller

The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller. Unabridged downloadable audiobook, 313 minutes. Read by Jennifer Kim. Listening Library, March, 2018. 9780525525707. 

Middle Grade Monday features The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller. This first-person narration is seventh grader Natalie Napoli's "Wonder Notebook," as her hashtag-loving, overly enthusiastic science teacher likes to call it. Natalie used to love science, especially botany and she adored spending time with her vivacious botanist mother in her lab at the university. For weeks now, her mother has virtually disappeared into her bedroom and Natalie wants her back. She doesn't want to join two classmates in an egg-drop competition until she learns the prize for winning is $500. Enough money to bring her mom on a trip to find a rare blue orchid. Maybe this will bring her mother back.

Along the way, Natalie learns a lot about herself as well as a desire to connect with her Korean grandmother and culture, something her bi-racial father has always avoided. She also connects with her two lab partners in unexpected ways. There's a lot to like in this debut. The pace is brisk. The tone is introspective. The characters are unique and complex. There's a smart, science-loving girl and a complicated family situation. Jennifer Kim's narration brings Natalie to life but have the book handy, as it is illustrated. 

The Science of Breakable Things is a wonderful addition to the collection.

Teen Tuesday: Like Vanessa by Tami Charles

Like Vanessa by Tami Charles. 284 p. Charlesbridge Publishing, March, 2018. 9781580897778. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Teen Tuesday features Like Vanessa by Tami Charles. On the heels of Vanessa Williams' historic winning of the 1983 Miss America Pageant, thirteen-year-old Nessy confides her own dreams of entering a pageant in Darlene, her diary. But Nessy is realistic, she's big-boned and dark. Besides, her stern and aloof father would never let her. But when her school decides to host a pageant and the new music teacher encourages her to audition, her beloved grandfather, Pop-Pop signs her permission slip and her creative cousin TJ promises to design her wardrobe. Readers will fall in love with Nessy on page one and root for her through the ups and downs of life in Newark, New Jersey as she discovers her strength and learns a family secret or two. This semi-autobiographical novel is the author's debut.

That's what went on the morning announcements and is, by necessity, brief. I just loved this book and can't wait for my students to meet Nessy. She's so interesting and complicated. She's a good student who sees education as her way out of Newark and her neighborhood, which has drugs and gangs; but she's not sure how. Nessy strives to be invisible both at school and at home with her father, who seems angry all the time. She adores, Pop-Pop but worries about his drinking even though he sobers up each weekend to attend church. And she wishes her cousin TJ could be safe enough to be himself. This first-person narrative is achingly beautiful and filled with yearning.

The eighties, pageant preparation and Newark come to vivid life in this remarkable debut. I am looking forward to reading more from Ms. Charles. 

Fact Friday and Review: Avalanche Dog Heroes: Piper and friends learn to search the snow by Elizabeth Rusch

Avalanche Dog Heroes: Piper and friends learn to search the snow by Elizabeth Rusch. 50 p. Little Big Foot/ Sasquatch Books, October, 2018. 9781632171733. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Let me start right out by saying that this is a terrific book! I'm a dog lover and a skier and admit I was inclined to like it. It was not a problem being objective however. This is a beautifully designed, informative book!

Let's start with the photos. They are crisp, clear, full-color and plentiful from front cover to back. There's at least one on every page showing the dogs (mostly Piper) in training on the mountain. The scenery is gorgeous! There are plenty of text boxes and diagrams to further explain/ illustrate finer points, such as a dog's sense of smell or the anatomy of an avalanche. The narrative is peppy, conversational and informative. Readers learn all about Piper, her canine buddies, her handlers and her day of training. 

Backmatter includes directions for making your own tug toy as well as instructions for training your dog to tug. Resources include books and websites to learn more. An additional page provides an educator's guide for group discussion and activities. 

Avalanche Dog Heroes is a fine addition to any collection. Display it prominently and it won't sit. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman. Unabridged audiobook on nine compact discs. ~11 hours. Performed by the authors, Jenni Barber, Noah Galvin, Michael Crouch, Kivilighan de Montebello and Candace Thaxton. Simon & Schuster Audio, 2018. 9781508263081. (Review of audio cd borrowed from public library. Own hc.)

Teen Tuesday features Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman. This gripping novel is told in present tense from multiple perspectives and takes place in a scarily possible near future in southern California. Water shortages have caused farms to fail and lawns and pools to go dry; but one day, without warning, it stops flowing. At first, residents take it in stride and pile into their cars for a trip to Costco. But when seemingly plentiful cartons of bottled water can't be obtained, ordinary people, when desperate do despicable things. And, that is only the beginning. Not only will reading this make you terribly thirsty, you may want to start hoarding bottles of water the way that the book, Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer made the reader want to stock up on canned goods. As the copy asks, what would you do for the last drop of water?

This was a seat-of-your-pants read! One which, if you are reading with your eyes, you might read in one tense sitting. If you are reading with your ears, as I was, it made a marathon raking session fly by. The audio performances were fantastic. The five points-of-view weave seamlessly with each other and occasional "snapshots," narrated by the authors. Boy, does Michael Crouch have that creepy guy vibe nailed.

Dry is a must-read! Recommend it to everyone possible. Definitely hand it to teens to love apocalyptic stories like Pfeffer's Life as We Knew It series. It's timely and oh so possible.

Picture Book Review: Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein

Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein. unpgd. Candlewick Press, September, 2018. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Our irrepressible interrupting chicken is back and her patient papa continues to stoically submit to his little chick's insistence that the literary term is not the element of surprise, but the elephant of surprise. Papa tries to prove her wrong by whipping out a book of fairy tales and dang, if that pesky elephant doesn't show up every time! Even when he resorts to making up his own story, interrupting chicken illustrates and gets that elephant of surprise to show up!

Fans of the first book, Interrupting Chicken, which won a Caldecott Honor, will be tickled to revisit chicken and her papa. Fans who find this one will demand the first. And deservedly so. In fact, I needed to run over to the library to borrow Interrupting Chicken!

Again, the mixed media art shines here. The colors are warm and there's plenty of detail to catch the eye, such as the school bus viewed through the window of the living room. The textures are inviting as well. One can see crayon markings as well as colored pencil strokes. Papa, as caregiver continues to dote and seems to have an after-school routine. He leaves his computer to devote his entire attention to chicken. Alas, his attempts at gentle correction fall on deaf ears and he attempts to prove it with a story. 

The art for the "storybook" parts is different, seeming to be pen and ink, but the background contains interesting details for young eagle eyed readers/ listeners.

Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise is a #nevertoooldforpicturebooks picture book. It can be shared with older students as a playful introduction to the literary device and younger students will hoot with glee over chicken's exuberant free spirit. She's definitely an outside-the-box thinker. Highly recommended for everyone young and old. 

Here's a link to an adorable trailer.

Fact Friday: Woodpeckers: drilling holes & bagging bugs by Sneed B. Collard III

Woodpeckers: drilling holes & bagging bugs by Sneed B. Collard III. 48 p. Bucking Horse Books, April, 2018. 9780984446094. (Review of purchased finished copy.)

I nearly skipped Fact Friday as my nonfiction reading has taken a nose-dive thanks to all the reading I am needing to do as a round one Cybils judge. But, after finishing two entries this morning, my mind needed a break from middle grade fiction. I unearthed this book from the bottom of my tbr pile and settled in.

Conversational and punny, this book is a fantastic introduction to the members of the Picidae family. Beautifully designed, well organized and filled with a - mazing photographs, this one has the awe factor. Backmatter includes suggestions for learning more, a glossary, some photo bloopers (!) and an index. My one teeny-tiny quibble has to do with the desire for a map or list at the back showing the regions the woodpeckers can be found it. Some, like the Gila Woodpeckers and the two-page section about woodpeckers found abroad, are obvious. But I had to head for my Field Guide to find out whether I could see the Acorn Woodpecker or the Lewis' Woodpecker in my area. Alas, no.

I have enjoyed the author/ photographer's earlier books. Here's a link to Firebirds, which I found fascinating.

Mr. Collard laments the fact that there aren't any good books about woodpeckers for children in the section called, "Tapping Deeper." He has filled this void magnificently. Woodpeckers: drilling holes & bagging bugs is a first-purchase, as are his other titles.

Middle Grade Monday: Everything Else in the Universe by Tracy Holczer

Everything Else in the Universe by Tracy Holczer. 274 p. G. P. Putnam's and Sons/ Penguin Young Readers Group, June, 2018. 9780399163944. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

The year is 1971 and twelve-year-old Lucy is awaiting her father's return from Vietnam. He was a surgeon and Lucy and her mother moved to southern California to stay near her father's relatives while he was in country. When he finally does step off the plane, Lucy quickly discovers that her dad is missing more than his arm. Something is not right and Lucy is determined to help him. Only, he doesn't want her help. Not only does her mother find herself a job by she and her father send her to her uncle's house to spend the summer days. Her uncle, in turn, encourages her to make friends with Milo, who is staying with his grandmother for the summer.

This is such a beautiful story of friendship, of family and of the fallout the Vietnam War had on returning vets and their families as well as the families of those who did not return home. It's heartbreaking. You will need tissues. But you will laugh out loud too. Lucy's extended family leaps from the pages with noise and love. The writing is lovely. The characters are memorable. Lucy's friendship with Milo is genuine. I did not want the story to end.

This is Holczer's second novel. Fans of her first, The Secret Hum of a Daisy, will love this one as will readers who love books about family and friendship.

Fact Friday: What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?

What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? The story of extraordinary congresswoman Barbara Jordan. unpgd. Beach Lane Books, September, 2018. 9781481465618. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Celebrated biographer Barton penned a lovely tribute to Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. This gorgeous oversize book can't contain Jordan's energy, power and determination. It bursts from each page whether through Barton's lyrical prose or Holmes' bold collages. 

Barbara Jordan grew up in the Fifth Ward in Houston, Texas. Her intelligence and curiosity compelled her to speak, to ask questions and to study hard. She excelled in college and was accepted into law school at a time when women, especially women of color had difficulty gaining admission. Barton relates Jordan's story chronologically and uses the refrain, "What do you do with a voice like that?" effectively. Backmatter includes an author's note, a timeline and suggestions for reading and viewing. 

What do you do with a voice like that? is going into my picture book biography unit and should be in every school and public library. 

Fact Friday: Back from the Brink: saving animals from extinction by Nancy F. Castaldo

Back from the Brink: saving animals from extinction by Nancy F. Castaldo. 168 p. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April, 2018. 9780544953437. (Review of purchased copy.)

Three pages into this, I had to pick my jaw up off the ground as I had never known that it was President Nixon who created the Environmental Protection Agency! I honestly had no idea he was such a green president. I can't remember if I tweeted or posted my astonishment to the author. Then, one of those funny strings of coincidences happened where that factoid seemed to pop up everywhere from quiz shows to news articles. I love it when that happens.

The book just got better from there. Castaldo did a fair amount of travel to research this book that highlights the conservation efforts of scientists and citizen scientists to save seven endangered animals, whooping cranes; wolves; bald eagles; American alligators, American bison, California condors and Galapagos tortoises. This is an attractively designed, well-organized book from the lovely descriptions of landscape to cogent explanations of what happened to each species to endanger its survival to suggestions about how young readers can help. Full-color, engaging photos bring the reader up close and personal. Text boxes designed to look like notebook pages provide sidebar information. Backmatter includes plentiful sources and books to read and websites for further information.

Back from the Brink is a fine addition to STEM collections. Your fact hounds and researchers will find much to like here. 

Middle Grade Monday and Audio Review: Sunny by Jason Reynolds

Sunny by Jason Reynolds. Track series #3. Unabridged downloadable audiobook, 3 hours. Narrated by Guy Lockard. Simon & Schuster Audio, April, 2018. 9781508246169 (Review from audiobook borrowed from public library. Own print copy.)

Let Middle Grade Monday bring a little sunshine on yet another rainy Monday. Sunny by Jason Reynolds is the third book in his very popular track series. Sunny lives up to his name because he is quick with a smile and a good word for his teammates on the Defenders, the elite middle school track team Sunny runs for. But all is not well at home. Sunny is growing tired of trying to please his distant father - a father who insists Sunny call him by his first name - Darryl. The only thing that seems to please Darryl is when Sunny wins the mile run. What happens when Sunny quits the mile run just as he's about to win? Can Sunny still be the track team if he can't/ won't run?

I do so love this series, but I think Sunny might be my favorite so far. Guy Lockard does an amazing job of portraying Sunny's energy. I am not sure I would've read Sunny's exuberance quite so well with my eyes. I especially loved the commentary at the end featuring the author and the narrator speaking about their friendship. I happened to be in the audience when Guy Lockard spoke at the Odyssey Award reception (Ghost won an Odyssey Honor) and thought of his and Jason's remarks as I listened to this story.

My students and I eagerly await the release of Lu on October 23. There's a waiting list already. I will most likely read it with my ears as, you guessed it, Lockard is the narrator. It will be a bit sad to see this series end; but I'm certain that Reynolds has a few things lined up.

Audiobook Review: A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti

A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti. Unabridged downloadable audiobook, 9 hours. Read by Julia Whelan, Simon & Schuster Audio, September, 2018. (Review of audiobook downloaded from public library.)

Annabelle Agnelli should be enjoying her senior year of high school. Instead she's withdrawn and hobbled by guilt and grief. Over what? Do not be impatient to find out. Be with her as she attempts to cope with a triggering incident that sends her running - literally running from Seattle to Washington D.C. Appreciate her slightly dysfunction but indomitable and staunchly supportive extended family. Yearn for friends like Zach and Olivia. Witness Annabelle's courage as she peels back the scarring to face the unthinkable. Acknowledge her doubt. Weep when she is able to face her pain and finally rejoice for there is always, always hope.

The hardest reviews to write are the ones of books that I absolutely love. This one just gutted me. It is stunning, searing, brilliant, devastating and unquestionably and unfortunately, timely. The voice grabbed me from the start. I adore Annabelle. She's a gifted runner, a great sister, a somewhat snarky daughter, a girl everyone finds easy to like and wants to befriend. I hate running. Honestly, I can't run three strides without wanting to heave myself on the couch; but I do admire runners. I loved reading about Annabelle's running. I loved the brutal monotony, the rituals, the interior dialog. It almost made me want to try again but I think my bones are too heavy. Really. I am dead weight.

Caletti has assembled a memorable cast of characters around Annabelle. Even the most fleeting of background characters have impact. Annabelle has found a permanent place in my heart, because of these remarkable secondary supporting characters. 

I read this with my ears and, at first I didn't realize that it was read by a narrator of whom I am not a fan. Her style fit. I still don't love her male voices though. The performance was very good and I am glad to have read it that way; but there were so many bits of brilliant writing, luscious metaphors, startling imagery and glimpses of hope that I wished I were reading with my eyes so as to dog-ear the particularly evocative passages. This is definitely one for the reread pile. And that cover! Oh man, the cover is perfect!

A Heart in a Body in the World is a first-purchase for all high school and public libraries as well as anyone who serves teens. I can't recommend it enough and will be recommending it to my more mature student readers.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry

Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry. Unabridged downloaded audiobook. Read by Michael Crouch. 9 hours, 4 minutes. HarperAudio, August, 2018. (Review from downloadable audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Michael's father has broken his promise and he is furious. His rather emotionally distant father has a penchant for moving the family whenever there is a possibility of a raise or a promotion. He had promised there wouldn't be a move until Michael finished high school. Now, Michael, a devout atheist  finds himself, not only moving, but attending a Catholic high school. He's not into the school uniform, his stern principal, his teachers, most of whom are nuns or his classmates, many of whom come off as pious and judgmental He fears he is destined to sit alone at lunch until he hears Lucy engage Sister in a discourse about saints, feminism, and religious patriarchy. Intrigued and hoping to have found someone to sit with, Michael rather creepily follows Lucy until she turns and confronts him. Reluctantly, she invites him to sit together at lunch where she introduces him to her bestie, Avi, who is Jewish. Eventually, he is inducted into Heretics Anonymous, a secret society. The other two members are Max, a Korean American who is a bit obsessed with capes and may be autistic and Eden, a Wiccan. Has Michael found his people?

Boy, do I love a smart novel dealing with religion and belief! This debut is impressive from its catchy title, irresistible cover somewhat evocative of "grilled cheesus" from the second season of Glee, to the voice of its narrator, Michael. Michael's bitterness is palpable and understandable. While he's a bit self-absorbed, he's also inquisitive and intelligent. Every character is interesting, including the zealously devout, his father and his teachers. They are not one-dimensional cardboard figures. 

Fave narrator, Michael Crouch turns in another great performance. I've listened to enough audiobooks narrated by him to amend my early impression that he is a chameleon. That said, he sounds appropriately youthful, imbues his character, Michael with humor and paces his narrations well. 

Heretics Anonymous is so appealing. Hand to your thoughtful teens who enjoy laughing and want a smart romance. I am eager to read more from Katie Henry and hope the Morris Committee is reading.

Blog Tour and Arc Review: The Law of Finders Keepers by Sheila Turnage

The Law of Finders Keepers by Sheila Turnage. 360 p. A Mo & Dale Mystery #4. Kathy Dawson Books/ Penguin Young Readers, September 11, 2018. 9780803739628. (Review from arc courtesy of publisher.)

If ever there was a series I never wanted to end, it is this one. Mo and Dale reside in my heart next to Moose Flanagan, Heidi It and only one or two other characters. A visit to Tupelo Landing makes all right in this crazy world. Indeed, the town is very nearly a character! It is a place kind of frozen in time. A place where everyone knows everyone. If one were to sneeze at one end of town, another would say, "Bless you!" on the other end. A place where kids ride their bikes and leave them unlocked in driveways and against fences. 

The Law of Finders Keepers can stand alone. But if you have not read the three earlier books in the Mo & Dale Mystery series, you are missing out. 

Sixth graders Mo LoBeau and her partners, Dale and Harm are the Desperado Detectives. Mo continues to search for her "Upstream Mother" and writes letters to her faithfully. The Desperado's newest case arrives when snow and a treasure hunter named Gabriel Archer blow into town. It seems that Tupelo Landing and the dastardly pirate, Blackbeard have history. It may just be that Blackbeard buried his lost treasure in Tupelo Landing. Everyone's going treasure hunt crazy and it's bringing out the worst in some residents. Crimes are being committed. Mo is also dealing with some new clues in her search for "Upstream Mother" on top of it all.

Turnage's storytelling is masterful as she juggles her large, eccentric and colorful cast of characters. I feel like I could amble into Miss Lana's cafe, grab a seat at the counter and recognize everyone who walks in the door! The rich dialogue is at turns amusing and dramatic as clues and suspense mount. I just adore the friendship between Mo and Dale and Harm. Dale just cracks me up and I admire how Mo and Harm gently help him. I am curious about the adults they will grow up to be. 

So readers, sadly, it is over. We bid goodbye to Tupelo Landing with a tear or two and many laughs. The Law of Finders Keepers is a perfect conclusion to an absolutely must-read series. 

Teen Tuesday and Audio Review: Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman. Arc of a Scythe #2. Unabridged audiobook on one MP3 CD, hours, minutes. Read by Greg Tremblay. Brilliance Audio, April, 2018. 9781978614307. (Review from purchased audiobook.)

Happy Tuesday and first day of school for me, TMS Readers! Enjoy your lovely day off while we teachers prepare to welcome you back on Thursday! Teen Tuesday features Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman. Thunderhead is book two in the Arc of a Scythe series and you definitely should read book one, Scythe, first. 

The series is set in the future when death and disease have been eradicated. Not only can one live several hundred years, but should one desire, he or she may "reset" their body to a younger age. Governments and most countries as we know it no longer exist. Crime is nearly non-existent. Life is good, if a bit boring. Everything is watched over and controlled by the Thunderhead. But the planet cannot support an unlimited population so Scythes are tasked with culling the population. Unlike the Thunderhead, Scythes are all too human, and being above the law, a faction has split off and seems to take pleasure in the killing. 

The series centers around two teens, Citra and Rowan as they are chosen to become scythe apprentices but eventually end up as political pawns. Neal Shusterman is a master worldbuilder and storyteller. He keeps the reader off-balance and guessing. The ending of Thunderhead will leave the reader panting for the next installment, The Toll, which as yet, has neither a cover nor an expected due date!

I read both books in this series with my ears and thoroughly enjoyed Greg Tremblay's narration. While his pacing occasionally lags, he manages to maintain distinct voices for the large cast of characters. I especially like that his female voices are not breathy caricatures that many male narrators tend toward.

If you are a science fiction fan, you should definitely check this series out as well as Neal Shusterman's Unwind Dystology!

Picture Book Blog Tour and Review: Eraser by Anna Kang

Eraser by Anna Kang. Illustrated by Christopher Weyant. unpgd. Two Lions/ Amazon Publishing, September 1, 2018. 9781503902589. (Review of finished copy courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Happy book birthday tomorrow to Eraser by Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant. Prepare to fall in love with school supplies as the duo who brought us You are (Not) Small; That's (Not) Mine and I am (Not) Scared return to induce giggles and groans and, perhaps reassure young perfectionists that making mistakes is not a disaster. 

The story starts on the title page, so don't move too quickly past it. Actually, stop and take a really close look at the title on the cover. Genius!

Eraser sure is busy making sure everyone else look good. Pencil is a bit of a glory hog. She sits at the cool table with all the writing utensils, paint brushes and highlighters. Eraser grumps to her friends Sharpener and Ruler that it isn't fair that they get credit for being creative. Eraser is even a bit jealous of Tape and Glue for their ability to bring everyone together. She wants more. 

When lunch is over and everyone is called together to work on a new project, she tries to join the creative meeting but is turned away. Undaunted, she comes up with an idea and works through the night on it only to have it unintentionally ruined! No matter what she tries to do, Pencil and her crew laugh at her. So Eraser decides to leave. She packs her belongings into a mint container and exits in the most hilarious way possible. She ends up in the waste basket where she finds appreciation and realizes that, "Mistakes make us great!"

Back at creativity central, things are not going well.

What a great back-to-school read aloud! Grab this book and a kid or a class and get ready to have some fun. Kang's puns and Weyant's signature expressive and energetic art are sure to please. Young readers will delight in finding all the humorous little details and may relate to some of the "class" dynamics going on. 

According to the press release, this story was inspired by an essay their daughter wrote while in third grade. "The assignment was to write from the perspective of someone" and their daughter wrote about an eraser who wanted to create. Kate granted permission for her parents to use her idea and four years later, we have Eraser!

As usual, a visit to Anna Kang's website will yield a link to an activity kit, so be sure to stop there. And take a look at the adorable book trailer!

Fact Friday and Review: Eavesdropping on Elephants by Patricia Newman

Eavesdropping on Elephants: how listening helps conservation by Patricia Newman. 56 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, August 1, 2018. 9781541515710. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Science writer supreme, Patricia Newman's latest book brings to life the work of Katy Payne, who started Cornell University Elephant Listening Project back in 1984. After working for fifteen years studying whale sounds, she turned her attention to deciphering elephant sounds. "Katy wondered if African elephants also used infrasound. Biologists who study them had always marveled that elephant families separated by miles seem to stay in touch with one another." (p. 11) After studying Asian elephants in the Washington Park Zoo, Katy and her team spent five years recording savanna elephants in Zimbabwe. Eventually, she teamed up with an elephant researcher named Andrea Turkalo to explore these questions; "Could acoustic eavesdropping uncover more about forest elephants' habits? Could it help protect them? And could the combination of sound and behavior help scientists decode what elephants are saying to one another?" (P. 14)

With her usual narrative flair, Newman's accessible prose sifts years of complicated research into manageable bites of information accompanied by at least one full-color, well-captioned photos on every page. As usual, the publisher's design team found cool colors and design elements to tie the pages together. In this case, backgrounds in green tones and sound waves pulsing from one page to the next. There are maps to orient the reader and text boxes with charts to explain concepts. There are also elephant-shaped QR codes that readers can scan to watch videos and listen to sound clips! For those without a QR code app, there is a url for access. This extra content adds punch.

Newman always encourages young readers to be proactive in her books by providing tips for environmental stewardship. Backmatter includes a spotlight on Taegen Yardley, who as a middle school student, was inspired by the documentary, Battle for the Elephants, to advocate for elephant conservation and protection against poachers. There are two pages of source notes; a glossary and two pages of books and websites recommended for further reading, making this a great source for student research. 

Eavesdropping on Elephants is a spectacular STEM addition to any school, classroom or public library. It does double duty, as most of Newman's books do, to not only advocate for conservation efforts but highlights real scientists and their work in the field. 

Review: Dog Man Lord of the Fleas by Dav Pilkey

Dog Man Lord of the Fleas by Dav Pilkey. 256 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., August 28, 2018. 9780545935173. (Review of purchased copy.)

Well, regular readers of my humble blog can skip my Saturday, "What's New? Stacking the Shelves" post. I picked this up at a little indie on the island called The Bookworm, set Saturday's post up and ended up diving right in instead of reading from my bag of beach reading.

No offense to this amazing pile of books. I have actually read about 10 off the pile already and will read each and every one over the next week (or two) with the attention they deserve. Come on, Dog Man! How could I resist bumping it to the top?

Stacking posts usually contain the publisher synopsis, which I copy and paste; but Dog Man #5 had nothing. Didn't need no publisher synopsis! Hey! It's Dog Man. Dog Man = automatic purchase of multiple copies for me and most libraries. Since I was spending my own money instead of my school's, I just bought one.

A new Dog Man needs no reviews either. Nothing I write will add to or detract from sales. I write out of sheer love and gratitude for Dav Pilkey's genius. I thank Dav Pilkey for giving dormant readers a place to thrive. I thank him for making all readers laugh and not take things too seriously. As a teacher, I thank him for the reminder that those "difficult" kids need affection, attention and respect. 

So, Dog Man, Cat Kid and 80-HD are happily cohabiting, inventing, eating and playing at superheroes when Kitty Protective Services comes calling and removes Cat Kid from the home. Cat Kid is not fooled though. Petey has broken out of prison yet again, disguised himself and is determined to prove to Cat Kid that he's a real bad guy. He reveals a trauma from his childhood (the Lord of the Flies reference) that has defined who he is today; but Cat Kid still insists that there is good in Petey and peppers him with "knock-knock jokes."

The story zigs and zags all over the place. Energetic colorful panels zig and zag as well. Flip-o-ramas add interest and will stress the pages of well-worn library copies. A coda assures readers that the next Dog Man adventure is in the works, Dog Man Brawl of the Wild. As usual, Pilkey shares tips on how to draw his characters in ridiculously easy steps. Notes inform readers of literature that inspired parts of this book. The final pages are a kind of graphic PSA about the benefits of reading, reading aloud to your kid and a wonderful program where children read aloud to animals. 

The series remains fresh and funny and surely a must-purchase addition to any library.