Walls

"Walls Within Walls" by Maureen Sherry is quite a fascinating book that includes a mystery to be solved by figuring out puzzles. I do like puzzles!

Our story takes place in New York City in a very amazing building, once the home to a very rich gentleman with the name Post. He loved puzzles and created one to lead the way to where most of his fabulous wealth was hidden. The only problem was... his heirs didn't get the first clue and no one has ever admitted to finding it.

Fast forward about 65 years and this grand apartment, now divided into 4 apartments, is the home to 3 children just moved from Brooklyn after their dad has "struck it rich" after inventing video games. The first thing to start this mystery rolling is the discovery of a painting of a very large eye behind a bedroom wall along with a very old Library book due around 65 years ago with instructions to return it. They take it back to the Library and to their amazement, after paying a $76.00 fine, are given another book in which is a series of poems. The hidden painting and panels behind their walls hint at finding symbols connected to these poems around New York and pushing the symbols on a hidden map will release "the golden water". An elderly neighbour or two seem also to be very interested in all of this.

Hmm - has this gotten your attention yet?

Lots of New York geography and history come into the plot as the group tries to see if this puzzles does indeed lead them to the treasure. Bets?

What are you reading today?

Big Nate

And now for something completely different!

Okay, I admit it... I liked it! What am I referring to? "Big Nate: In a Class by Himself" by Lincoln Peirce. I also have to admit I have never read any of the Wimpy Kids books so I am not really sure how this compares but I think it is very similar in style and audience. You can see Jeff Kinney's recommendation on the cover.

Cartoons generously illustrate the events and while the plot is not earth shattering it is almost plausible! I mean have you ever had a fortune cookie that tells you that today you will "surpass all others' and been very excited? That's what happens to Nate and he looks for opportunities everywhere... the only problem is that he keeps getting pink detention slips when things don't work out to plan. I found myself chuckling through much of the book and know I have many students I can recommend this book to!

You will have to read to see if the fortune comes true!

What are you reading today?

Out of My Mind

"Out of My Mind" by Sharon Draper is one of those amazing books that kept me reading into the wee hours of the night when I knew I had an early start. It didn't matter... I had to finish and it was worth it. It brought me to tears (Page 138!) and I cheered and applauded so many small yet meaningful victories throughout.

"Words. I'm surrounded by thousands of words. Maybe millions. ...... Words have swirled around me like snowflakes, each one delicate and different, each one melting untouched in my hands."

And with these words we begin the story of Melody, an eleven year old girl who has never used these words, she has never spoken, she has never written. She can't... she has cerebral palsy. Her body is her prison but inside this prison there is an amazing girl, one who has a photographic memory and is brilliant.

Her doctors and teachers think she is incapable of learning but her parents and caregiver believe in her and insist on sending her to school. Her classmates are all special and the program she is in in driving her "out of her mind" with its mindless repetition of the alphabet and cartoons until one day Melody discovers something that will change her world, something that will give her a voice where she can be heard.

Read this book - you will love it too.

What are you reading today?

Tough and Sweet

That is the description of Turtle, the name of the main character in "Turtle in Paradise" by Jennifer L. Holm.

Turtle is an 11 year old girl sent to live with her aunt and cousins in the hot, humid Florida Keys in June 1935. Because of the depression and shortage of jobs, her mother is lucky to take a position as a housekeeper but no kids are welcome so off Turtle goes. Not only has she never been to Florida before, her relatives don't even know she is coming! You can only imagine the adjustment for her 3 very rambunctious boy cousins!

Boys are always boys whether it be 1935 or 2010; loud, cheeky, each with very distinct personalities and, especially Bean, always looking for trouble. Not allowed to be in the "Diaper Gang", not realizing she actually has a grandmother living there, Turtle, named because of the shell she has enveloped herself in, is quickly caught up in all the family dynamics but can certainly give as good as she gets. She is absolutely delightful; gutsy and wise and I love her first interactions with her mean grandmother!

The language is that of the time, references are made to Shirley Temple and Little Orphan Annie and to know a little of the era really makes this little gem come alive. Stick with it... and you will discover if the gang finds a hidden treasure.

What are you reading today?

Very Mysterious...

Beginning with the cover of the book, " The Kneebone Boy" by Ellen Potter has an air of mystery about it. On it we see 3 children, unsmiling and serious, two dark, the one in the middle has one eye peering out from behind straight longish blond hair, a scarf wrapped tightly around his neck, a cat cradled in his arms. But if you look very closely you see legs dangling down from the tree behind them.

This sets the scene for a story about the Hardscrabbles; two brothers, Otto, the tall blonde, Max, the youngest and their sister Lucia. Perceived by their village to be strange they are usually left alone to their own devices. However adventure calls when their father has to go away and entrusts them into the hands of an aunt in London who is simply not at home when they arrive to stay. After a scary run-in with a Londoner, Otto, who for the past 8 years only speaks with his hands, tells them of a great aunt who they never knew they had. Impulsively they decide to visit her in a seaside village and hopefully she can help them clear up the mystery of what happened to their mother who disappeared 8 years ago. Once there more mysteries seem to present themselves... like who really is the Kneebone Boy?

There are wonderful twists and turns and more twists and turns on this journey and just when you think you might have it figured out it twists again. Lucia, Max and Otto are endearing characters acting like most brothers and sister do; arguing with each other one minute and yet very very caring the next. A wonderful story I know you will enjoy.

What are you reading today?

The Lost Hero

Another ride from Rick Riordan!

The first book in the Heroes of Olympus series called "The Lost Hero" is simply an amazing piecing together of mythology and adventure. New characters surface; Jason, Piper and Leo. Jason awakes on a school bus but has no recollection of who or where he is. Piper, who appears to be his girlfriend, and Leo, his best friend, certainly seem to know him but it is only when strange, very strange happenings quickly begin that his teacher admits he never saw him till the moment before. Whisked off to Camp Half Blood Jason learns he is a demi-god and like Percy Jackson, who has recently disappeared, he has a very important quest to complete with the help of demi-god friends Leo and Piper.

It seems that Hera is imprisoned and the giants are awakening to take over Olympus. This is a quest that the gods have been preparing for since our heroes births but there are so many unanswered questions that no one will help them with and that they have to discover for themselves. And it does not help that one of our demi-gods might be a traitor!

I think I should have had a book of mythology beside me as I read as there were so many names and titles that they were sometimes a blur, especially as Roman and Greek gods are intertwined. Needless to say another adventure is on its way as Jason awaits the building of the Argo II to fly, yes fly, to Olympus.

What are you reading today?

Milo: Sticky Note and Brain Freeze

This book "Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze" by Alan Silberberg is, at times, hilarious and at times had me in tears.

Milo is a 7th grader who has just moved to House #5. He is a nerdy kid who doesn't make friends easily but falls right into love with a beautiful girl at the corner store while buying.. toilet paper! Not a good start. However the girl next door keeps sending him notes and there is a guy he calls the One Eyed Jack who becomes his friend as they discover they have much in common.

As we get to know Milo we learn House #4, the one he calls the Fog House, is where his mom first got sick. We learn that Milo's dad is trying to "erase" his mom by giving away all her clothes, pictures and even her pots and pans after she dies. We learn that his neighbour Sylvia thinks Milo should work on remembering his mom and he does this in a charming and heartfelt way.
We learn how Milo felt when his mom passed away, feelings both real and raw.

Once again, a book that I thought was going in one direction went completely in another.
Read it.

A Ghost Story - All the Lovely Bad Ones

I am the first to admit I don't like really really scary books or movies but I do like a good ghost story and "All the Lovely Bad Ones" by Mary Downing Hahn is a good and satisfying ghost story.

Travis and his sister Corey have been sent to their Grandmother's Inn in Vermont for the summer because Summer Camp did not want them back! When these two learn the Inn has a history of ghost sightings they decide to do a little haunting of their own (with the help of a few props and some make-up) to further the rumor and to bring guests to the quiet Inn. It was only after Corey did a hair raising imitation of a ghost flitting among the trees that something dangerous, something that had been asleep for years, was awakened.... and not just a single spirit but a whole horde of rambunctious young ghosts of boys assigned to the County Poor Farm in the 1800's but also the ghost of the cruel mistress who was responsible for their death. Once awakened it is now up to Travis and Corey to find the three things that will put these "lovely bad ones" to rest.

What are you reading today?

Fishnapped!

Do you see the hand about to plunge into the fishbowl? Yes, this is a story about a fish being... well... fishnapped.

"Edgar Allan's Official Crime Investigation Notebook" by Mary Amato is about how the class pet and other items are mysteriously disappearing from Edgar's class and more mysteriously the thief is leaving notes, in poetry, to give clues. Edgar is determined to discover who the thief is and is using his powers of observation, recorded in his notebook, to figure how who looks and acts guilty.

He also has an arch rival, Patrick, who is also hot on the trail to discover the thief with the help of his scientist father. However, as Edgar narrows down his suspects, he actually discovers his prime suspects are classmates he really likes! Hmm this does complicate things.

Slow to start but good at the end. Try it.

What are you reading today?

Leviathan

I had seen this book "Leviathan" for a while but knew Scott Westerfield had written "The Uglies" and "The Pretties" and thought it would be perhaps somewhat similar. Not!

The art looked somewhat futuristic but this is not about the future at all.... in fact it is about the past but a very different past due to amazing creations of the Darwinists and the Clankers. Have you heard the term "steam punk" before? I had not but briefly it is the science fiction of alternate history using technology.

In 1914 the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated and World War I began. True. In this book Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated and Word War I began but his son Alek escaped with trusted servants in an armoured walker which is like a tank that walks on legs. In England Deryn Sharp, a young girl, poses as a young midshipman and is subsequently taken for a ride by a Huxley, a flying airship made of different animals blended together. Darwinists produce all sorts of "living things" such as the huge zeppelein-like creature with the body of a whale but infused with many other animals.

It is such a stretch of the imagination that I found it hard at first to feel the "willing suspension of disbelief" which is what I know fantasy to be. But the story, the very simple story of two young adults, enemies caught up in this war, was the story that I could not put down. It did not end but leads right into the second book, Behemoth.

For those good readers with vivid imaginations!

What are you reading today?

Strange Indeed

Dwight really is very weird and clueless when it comes to himself. I mean who would make an origami Yoda finger puppet in the first place? Dwight did. And who would have his fellow students ask questions to said Origami Yoda who, I might add, is situated on his finger? Dwight did. And who would answer these said questions using Yoda language? Yes ... Origami Yoda! And yet who did have significant and perceptive answers to these questions that did in fact change lives? Mmmmmm......

"The Strange Case of Origami Yoda" by Tom Angleberger is an entertaining and funny story, chapters of Dwight's classmates experiences with Origami Yoda woven together by Tommy who is determined to figure out if this is just a piece of paper like some believe or really an Origami Yoda.

You decide.

My students turned me on to this one.... well done.

Spirit Bear Returns

"Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen is a book I always know my Grade 7 students will love.

The first time I read it aloud they literally came running to the Library to hear the next installment about Cole Matthews and his exile to an island off Alaska for his part in a brutal act of bullying. His near death experience caused by the Spirit Bear, his own stubbornness and stupidity and his subsequent redemption touched them deeply but it was even more profound as life imitated art and the news stories of the day told of a circle justice trial taking place in our city as we were reading about it in the book. Powerful.

And now I have just finished "Ghost of Spirit Bear", the sequel, which follows Cole and Peter as they attempt to pick up their lives at their old high school. While they both have changed Cole also knows how difficult it is to control his temper in his old environment where violence and gangs taunt him constantly. From survival in a remote environment in the first book to urban survival this story is brilliant in showing how high schools can be a place of fear for many and how Cole realizes it is not enough to have changed himself. He has to change his world.

Another gripping and moving story. Read it.

Malice

I have just started "Malice" by Chris Wooding and am not sure if I can continue. I never have liked spooky books and I think this is going to be very!

A very mysterious comic book seems to have the ability to drag readers into its pages. And I am not sure if they can get out.....

Keep you informed....

What Happened on Fox Street?

Did you like "Waiting for Normal", "The Higher Power of Lucky" or "Because of Winn Dixie"?
If you did then here is another you will love.

"What Happened on Fox Street" by Tricia Springstubb is a story that is about 11 year old Mo Wren, a young girl who has lived on Fox Street surrounded by the same group of neighbours her whole life. It is a wonderful dead-end street where she and her younger sister, who is referred to as The Wild Child, have felt secure and cared for, especially after the death of their mother. But this summer things are changing. Mo' s best friend has come to visit her grandmother who lives across the street and something is missing in their relationship. But even more, Mo's dad is thinking about selling their house and moving away. Mo's worries and her way of dealing with them are beautifully chronicled. And yes, there is a fox.

Dear George Clooney...

Can George get any more famous? Well after reading this book if you didn't already have a crush on him, you will now.

Susin Nielsen is the author of "Word Nerd" and now "Dear George Clooney - Please Marry my Mom". Both are funny laugh out-loud type of books. I did take a bit of a gulp with some of the happenings and how extreme they were. I mean who really would allow their two year old half- sisters to eat cat poop just because you are mad at your dad?

But seriously Violet's dad left their mom and headed to Los Angeles to marry a young and blonde actress. Now they have these adorable twins and that makes Violet and her younger sister Rosie, living with their mother in a delapitated house near Main Street in Vancouver, feel left out and neglected. Violet acts out because of it all and it doesn't help that her mother is now dating a new man with the name Dudley Weiner. I think that about says it all!

But George does save the day... it is George isn't it?

What are you reading today?

Halt's Peril

I was very excited to see one of my favourite series had a new title! "Halt's Peril" by John Flanagan is #9 of the Ranger's Apprentice series and I devoured it in a day.

This is a continuation of "The Kings of Clonmel" where we have discovered that Halt is... well you have to read to find out just what, but in this adventure Will, Halt and Horace are still on the trail of the Outsiders, religious fakes who con villagers out of any gold they might have by offering protection. They have crossed the sea to Picta and head to Araluen to stop them. Will, Halt and Horace have just about caught up when the expected happens. Yes, the expected. They know the Genovesan assassins will attempt an ambush and even though they were prepared you cannot prepare for everything. One of our trio is seriously hurt with a poisoned arrow. Can he be saved?

The pace of this book is a little slower. But because of an impending death it is the relationships between the three that are intense and gripping.

What are you reading today?

Dragon Story

This charming story called "Thomas and the Dragon Queen" by Shutta Crum is really a delightful story about how one "small" boy, because of his courage and determination and stubbornness too, ends up saving the day.

Thomas is small, I mean he is very short for his age and consequently the brunt of jokes and teasing. But when Thomas leaves all his brothers and sisters and parents and goes off to the castle to become a page to Sir Gerald he proves himself to be thoughtful and brave and always strives to be the best he can be and not let others bring him down. When the princess has been taken by the Dragon Queen it is Thomas, now Sir Thomas, who goes on this quest to save her. He faces trials and triumphs but it is what is in his heart that saves the day.

A great read-aloud. I think boys and girls in Grades 2,3 and 4 will really like this. I know I did.

What are you reading today?

Chains

Historical Fiction is a way of telling a good story at a different time in history. Events are real, some people are real and our characters lives are intertwined amongst them. "Chains" By Laurie Halse Anderson is one of the choices for this years YRCA for Grades 7 - 9. The story takes place in 1776 in New York City where Great Britain and America are at war.

But the story really revolves around Isabel, a young black slave who, with her younger handicapped sister, is sold to an family Loyal to Great Britain after being promised her freedom by her previous owner. Their life is now at the mercy of the cruel Mrs. Lockton. Another slave whom Isabel meets, Curzon, tells her that if she helps the Patriots by spying on the Loyalists they will help her in becoming free. After her younger sister is sold Isabel is caught up in a moral dilemna. Who will help her? What should she do? What she discovers is that both sides hands are tied by their laws and Isabel has to help herself.

An amazing story of one girl's strength and determination.

What are you reading today?

Smile and the World Smiles With You!

While taking a very short break from my Book Fair yesterday I browsed through the tables and picked up "Smile" by Raina Telgemeier. It is a graphic novel and normally I would put it right back down. But I began reading and kept reading and kept reading. I liked it - I really liked it!

This story is about a girl named.... Raina... who, at the age of 12, falls and damages her two front teeth very severely. Over the next few years she has numerous surgeries, braces, false teeth, headgear and this story chronicles beautifully all that anguish with teenage drama.

But it also highlights family, boys, fashion mishaps, school anxiety, and relationships, both good and bad. It's a winner and I bought it on the spot. (It's now sold out of the Fair!)

What are you reading today?

The Maze Runner

I like puzzles but "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner is not a puzzle that I would want to be a part of.

In this eerie compelling book our main character, Thomas, wakes up in an dark box that is clanking noisily as its rises upwards. While he knows his name Thomas remembers nothing else; who he is, where he comes from, where he is. The doors open and 60 boys await him... 60 boys who have been living in this area they call "The Glade" for up to two years, one new boy being delivered each month. They think they can escape by running and exploring the adjoining maze but so far without success. Huge doors to the maze are closed at night and horrific Grievers, creatures that are part beast, part machine, prey on any runner caught in the maze after dark. Thomas is still trying to figure things out when everything changes; a girl is lifted into The Glade" the next day with the ominous message that the game is ending.....

This book has you in its clutches right from the beginning... like a love/hate relationship.... full of tension that has me sitting on the edge of my chair but wanting to know what is going to happen next and not being able to put it down.

Not for the faint of heart and definitely for the mature readers.

What are you reading today?

Keeper

Kathi Appelt writes magically and the way she puts words and ideas together is simply beautiful.

"Keeper" is her newest story about love, all sorts of love, with more than a hint of mythology and some wonderful cats and dogs thrown in. It revolves around a 10 year old girl with the name Keeper who believes she is the daughter of a mermaid who swam away many years ago. She has been looked after ever since by a young woman, Signe, in a little house on the coast of Texas. On this particular day Keeper hears the crabs destined for the gumbo pot talking to her so she lets them go. This act leads to another and another and before she knows it Keeper has disappointed all those who love her so she gets it in her mind to go find her mother.... at sea. She has a plan and while everyone is sleeping Keeper drifts off to the ocean to find her.

This books begins with an act and then goes forwards and backwards and forwards for one, two, three special characters. I just wanted to be sure Keeper was safe... but this back and forth tied all the stories together very neatly. A lovely story.

What are you reading today?

The Billionaire's Curse

Now if I inherited billions, yes billions, of dollars, I think I might plan how how to spend some of that money! In the "The Billionaire's Curse" by Richard Newsome, Gerald is the very lucky heir to his great aunt Geraldine's fortune. Unfortunately, Gerald receives a letter from his aunt who tells him chances are she has been murdered and it is up to him to find the murderer! With his parents off jaunting around the world, Gerald is forced to stay in his very large inherited house in London with a very formal butler to "look"after him. He manages to "escape" to the British Museum to find information about the only clue he has, a magnificent diamond that has been stolen. After two children help extricate him from the clutches of a sinister and threatening character, Gerald knows he has to solve the mystery of the missing diamond and its box. It is his only chance of survival.... with a little bit of psychic power and his two new friends at his side to help him.

Quite fun..

What are you reading today?

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

Are you thinking that you might like to be a lawyer? Read on! This book "Theodore Boone:Kid Lawyer" is by John Grisham who has written numerous adult books about the law and lawyers. They are all page turners and have numerous twists and turns that keep you hooked. This is his first foray into books for the younger readers and is about a 13 year old kid, the son of two lawyers, who also wants to be a lawyer. In fact he already knows so much about the law he even helps out fellow students who have problems. However he becomes involved with a murder trial and must decide how to deal with information he has received that will make a difference in the outcome of the verdict. A guilty man could go free if he doesn't speak up.

While I enjoyed the book, at times it felt like Grisham was writing a book for a certain age instead of just writing a fabulous book. The writing is filled with facts that allow the young person to understand what is happening but it sometimes feels stilted, not natural.

What are you reading today?

Mockingjay

This final chapter of The Hunger Games is finished. It is gritty, dark, violent and brilliant. In "Mockingjay", by Suzanne Collins, Katniss has been rescued from The Capitol but at horrific costs: District Twelve - bombed , friends and neighbours - killed, Peeta - captured. With the revolution against The Capitol underway and with Katniss as its symbol of rebellion and strength, violence seems the only way to win. Heartbreaking in what she looses, Katniss fights to the very bitter end. Happy ending? You decide.

What are you reading today?

Back to the Future

In the spring many of our students were doing a project on music of the past decades. Not only did all my books on "Pop Culture of the 50's, 60's, 70,s and 80's" go out but so did "The History of Rock and Roll", "The Beatles", "Elvis", "Bryan Adams" etc. The halls were ringing with old familiar tunes and presentation day brought the look of the decade in clothes and hair! Lots of fun.

"Countdown" by Deborah Wiles brought October 1962 to life in this documentary novel. Pictures, songs, lifestyle and, most important, the political issues of that time are the backdrop to the life of Franny Chapman for a few days when she is feuding with her best friend, when her sister disappears, when her uncle ends up in the hospital and when Russia and America seem on a collision course involving the blockade of missiles. Do you want to know what that time was like? America really did believe a war might happen and this book made you feel it. But you also connect so strongly to Frannie who doesn't know how to deal with what's going on around her.

What are you reading today?

The Touchstone

I have written before how much I like the humorous books by Andrew Norris. Phyllis at Vancouver Kidsbooks shares my love and promptly gave me 'The Touchstone" to read and it is another winner. This one is about Douglas Patterson, a young boy who is contacted by an alien in trouble. He helps this alien who in turn gives him a Touchstone, an amazing device that links him to a universal librarian who has access to all the knowledge of all the galaxies. He first uses his Touchstone to give him answers to tests and for help for his friend Ivo to build a robot. However this Touchstone is sought after by the Guardians, enemies of his alien. He is torn between the opposing sides and wants to know who to believe. He realizes it is the questions he asks that are the most important thing, the questions that have long term consequences.

What are you reading today?

My Life as a Book

I picked up this book "My Life as a Book" by Janet Tashjian today somewhat hesitantly. It looked goofy with stick figure drawings along the margins and I am not really into goofy. As I began reading I did find it goofy but also engaging and humorous. However somewhere along the way it also took a left turn and I loved it and I think you will too.

The main character, Derek, is the kind of boy who just makes you shake your head. He is always involved in some kind of mischief and now that summer holidays are here fun is Derek's middle name (for example he uses his mother's avocados as grenades). His parents send him to Learning School to help him with his reading difficulties as he is a reluctant reader at the best of times. However, when Derek finds an old newspaper in his attic that details the drowning of a teenage girl he is intrigued and asks his parents what it is all about. When they downplay the incident it only makes him want to find out more and he does, much more than he ever expected. He finds out he played a part in that tragedy when he was a baby. He convinces his parents to go visit the girl's mom so he can fully understand what happened.

This a such a funny and poignant book. Derek learns so much this summer like making movies in his head when reading ( I do too) but also that the knowing the truth is not always the best.

What are you reading today?

Puzzling

Wow - I didn't realize how much I love puzzles! I raced through "The Potato Chip Puzzles" by Eric Berlin and found it thoroughly entertaining. I even had paper and pencil with me to try most of the puzzles and still have some I can go back to in my spare time.

A contest about solving puzzles with the prize of $50,000 for the winning school sounds a bit much but Winston Breen (who is a puzzle expert), his pals and their competitive teacher sponsor as well as inventive puzzles and situations are a perfect combination to keep you hooked. When Winston realizes there is a cheater who is trying to sabotage all the teams the big puzzle is who!

This is the second puzzle book with "The Puzzling World of Winston Breen" being the first and I think they both would make great read-alouds for teachers (with time outs for the puzzles of course).

What are you reading today?

Young Samurai

The Setting: Japan. The Date: 1612. The Main Character: Jack Fletcher - an English boy adopted by a Japanese lord after the death of his father and in training to be a samurai. This second book in the Young Samurai series by Chris Bradford titled 'The Way of the Sword" is fast paced and intriguing. While it took a bit to get into it, once in it was hard to put down.

Jack is circled by challenges: a group of fellow samurai students who tease and torment him because he is gaijin, an evil ninja trying to kill him for his father's navigational log book and the competition he takes on in order to learn Two Heavens, a special martial arts technique. This ancient ritual, called the Circle of Three, tests mind, body and spirit to the limit. He is young and tempestuous and usually learns the hard way but that is what makes this story so appealing. The author's knowledge of martial arts and the culture of Japan is extensive and fascinating.

What are you reading today?

Wild about Running Wild

I have loved many of Michael Morpurgo's books - they tell good stories and are beautifully written. They pull you in....and "Running Wild" did that and more. The premise is very much like those wonderful stories in "The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling which were Morpurgo's favourite childhood tales. Hence when he heard about the terrible tsunami in Indonesia on Boxing Day in 2004 this laid the groundwork for his own "Elephants Child" tale.

Morpurgo read how the elephants and other animals seemed to know that something terrible was going to happen but he also read how one young boy on holiday, taking a ride on an elephant along the beach, was saved after his elephant ran away from the beach up into the jungle moments before the tsunami struck. In "Running Wild" Will is the young boy on holiday with his mother. When his elephant, Oona, takes off into the jungle, she never stops running and never goes back. Will thinks his mother was lost in the tsunami and he soon realizes he owes his life to Oona. They form this rare bond and together they travel through the jungle meeting up with those amazing creatures, orangutans. Civilization finally does intrude on his peaceful existence and not in a nice way. This is such a heart warming story and I loved it.

What are you reading today?

Mr. Who?

"Mr. Stink". That is the name of a very funny book written by David Williams and the art by Quentin Blake is as entertaining as the book itself. The heroine is Chloe, a young misfit of a girl, who befriends a homeless man who, well, stinks. He hasn't had a bath in a year! Because she is such a sensitive girl, as opposed to her phony, cold mother who is running to become a M.P. and wants to rid the town of tramps, Chloe invites the tramp to live in the shed in her back yard. There is definitely more than meets the eye to Mr. Stink and hilarious happenings result with poor Chloe caught in the middle of it all.

What are you reading today?

The Red Pyramid

Of course here is one you have all been waiting for.. the latest by Rick Riordan who wrote the "Percy Jackson and the Olympian " series. While the first series was interwoven with the Greek gods and myths this new one, "The Kane Chronicles," is full of the ancient Egyptian gods and myths. So much so that I know a ton about ancient Egypt without even realizing it. I can recite the facts easily that Geb and Nut gave birth to 5 children on the last 5 days of the year - and these children were the gods Osiris, Isis, Horus, Set and Nephthys. All of them, who were husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, father and son, loved each other or hated each other, and always tried to best each other.
The main characters in "The Red Pyramid" are Carter Kane and his sister Sadie, children of a famous Egyptologist, who brings them to the British Museum to "make things right". Disaster occurs and their father disappears in a fiery explosion after a mysterious figure is summoned from the Rosetta Stone. It is their quest to find and save their father however they are now the object of the dangerous and evil god, Set. They have their supporters who help them, like Bast and in the process learn some amazing things about themselves. Could it be true that they are godlings themselves?
This book is full of action - think Indiana Jones! And it is truly intriguing how Riordan has created a modern adventure using so many facts and figures from ancient times. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.... and think you will too. And I know you will learn so much in the process!

What are you reading today?

Zen

How could I forget "Zen and the Art of Faking It"? This funny book by Jordan Sonnenblick was a favourite of the Grade 7 students who were reading all the YRCA choices this past year. Check out the MapleGroveYRCA blog to see their comments. Some of the students compared it to "Schooled" by Gordon Korman except Cap is just being himself while San is an anti- hero who lies in order to fit in with each new school he attends. Because he is Chinese and because he answers one question about Buddahism in class, his fellow students think he is a Zen master. Oops - he better head to the Library to find out all about it before they find out he is a fake!

What are you reading today?

Avi's Ghosts

I am a huge fan of Avi. Beginning with the wonderful story about Poppy, a mouse, and all of its connected tales, followed by many historical fiction pieces like Crispin Cross of Lead and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle as well as Beyond the Western Sea are just a few that I have read and loved. So it is interesting to see where the authors interests lie as he heads into the realm of the supernatural. Two books - one just finished, one in the middle but both about ghosts. The "Seer of Shadows" is another YRCA for 2011 and once again off to a slow start with alot about the main character who is a photography apprentice to an unscrupulous master and detail about the art of devleoping pictures just over 100 years ago. The excitement begins when the pair are hired to photograph a wealthy woman whose daughter has just died. Right from the beginning Horace is seeing images in the photographs, the image of a very angry young girl who seems to be bent on revenge. And revenge she has. Lots of suspense keep you engaged right to the end.

And I am off now to keep reading "Something Upstairs". This one set is in modern times about a young boy, Kenny, who has just moved to a very old house in Rhode Island. His very first night in his attic bedroom he hears noises coming from behind a door into a very small room that was once perhaps used for servants or slaves. He opens the door to find arms coming out of a stain on the floor that are moving a box placed on it. After, a body heaves itself out of the stain and a young ghost-boy comes face to face with Kenny... I will keep you posted on what happens next!

Next up - The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan.

What are you reading today?

Magical

Another of the YRCA for 2011 is "Savvy" by Ingrid Law. This Newberry Honor book is quite magical. When I begin a new book I look for 3 things; an interesting main character whom I connect to, a plot that is original with twists and turns to keep me turning pages quickly and finally, good writing that stops me in my tracks and has me reread a passage simply for the beauty of the language or the images it evokes. Ideally it also has to hook me in the first few pages. I found Savvy to have an unusual main character named Mibs, an equally unusual plot about a family that attains supernatural powers when they turn 13, with some exquisite language woven into it. Confusing at first I was not hooked easily and did have to keep at it till I realized I needed to keep reading. 37 chapters full of an adventure for Mibs, her older brother Fish, her younger brother Samson and a preacher's rebellious daughter along with her likable brother. It is Mibs 13th birthday, the day she will find out what her savvy, her magical power, is. But her father is injured seriously in a car accident and all she can think of is getting to the hospital in the neighbouring town to see her father to help him. She stows away on an old pink bus that is making delivers to the town but following her on board are the above cast of characters. When the bus pulls out however it does not turn left like it should, it turns right! Uh - oh.....

I also know I like a book when it makes me cry and this one did - just a little!

What are you reading today?

Oh, Canada

Two books down.... about 20 to go! I have just finished two books both set in Canada but on opposite sides of the country and opposite in most every other way as well.
I laughed my way through "Neil Flambe and the Marco Polo Murders" by Kevin Sylvester. I am not sure who this book will appeal to but I loved it. Neil is a 14 year old chef prodigy. That means he's really really good at cooking at a very very young age! Cooking is his life and he even owns his own restaurant where he goes after school. But Neil also has an outstanding sense of smell and he helps solves murders in his spare time. Set in Vancouver, many of the city's outstanding chefs are being murdered with notes left at the scene that chronicle Marco Polo's return trip to Venice from the court of Kublai Khan in China. This becomes very personal for Neil and for a time it looks like he may even be involved. Lots of cooking stuff in this book that, for me, is very entertaining. Did you notice how even his name is connected to cooking? Hope you will like it.

The second book is very different; dark, gruesome and violent. In "The Secret Ministry of Frost" by Nick Lake, Light is the name of a young girl whose father is a research scientist in Canada's Arctic. He has disappeared and Light meets up with a strange and unusual group of protectors to help find him. Inuit mythology is woven into this story with the main antagonist, a being named Frost, who with his band of horrific creatures, wants all mankind to die. While this book has garnered good reviews it is not my kind of book. I saw it through to the end but would like to hear what you think.

What are you reading today?

Some Suggestions for Summer

If you are looking for some good reads for the summer try one of these favourites of mine:


"Eragon" by Christopher Paolini - I loved reading this book about a young boy and his dragon fighting the evil emporer with the help of elves and dwarves.


"Terrier" by Tamora Pierce - and of course follow this with "Bloodhound". A young police woman who uses a bit of magic to help solve crimes in the slums of her city.

"Warrior Heir" by Cinda Williams Chima - and "Wizard Heir" and finally "Dragon Heir". Like Twilight without vampires.

"Montmorency - Thief, Liar, Gentleman" - by Eleanor Updale. A criminal who steals by day and is a gentleman by night.

"Mimus" - by Lilli Thal - a young prince who is turned into a "fool" by an enemy king.

Keeper

As the World Cup fever is running rampant I put out a display of, you got it, soccer books, non-fiction and fiction. My favourite is "Keeper" by Mal Peet. This is a wonderful surreal book about a young boy growing up in the rainforest of South America who one day wanders upon a mysterious soccer field and a more mysterious coach who trains him to become the greatest goalkeeper ever known. The ending does indeed tie things together to explain how and why this has magically happened. I don't know soccer but I loved this book.

What are you reading today?

The Chronicles of Prydain

I have had these books on my shelves for years and years and thought they looked good but was so busy reading new books I never found the time to read these old ones. I am talking about Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain series beginning with "The Book of Three" followed by "The Black Cauldron", "Taran Wanderer, "The Castle of Llyr" and finally Newberry Award winner "The High King". I read 4 out of the 5 simply because I forgot to bring one home!
I liked them. Do they compare with "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini? Not quite but I do think they were the forerunner of very good fantasy literature. They are more simple in storyline and telling but I really liked the main character, an assistant pig keeper named Taran who, at the beginning of the series, is this young, brash, idealistic boy intent on setting his mark on the world fighting evil. Along the way he attracts friends such as a feisty princess, a bard, a small hairy creature, some dwarfs, and a prince to name just a few and gains in knowledge of himself and his world. His common sense prevails as he gets himself and others into all sorts of problems. The last book was the hardest to read as the last battle is the hardest and some dear friends are sacrificed.

What are you reading today?

A Few So-So Books Not To Read

I was asked recently if I write about books I don't like and to be truthful I don't usually but I will today. I have read a few this past month that I simply didn't like for a variety of reasons. However, I do realize that everyone is different and please let me know if you like them.

First up "The Underneath" by K. Appelt. This was even a Newberry Honor book and I saw it on another Teacher-Librarians list and it was a "must have" at Vancouver Kidsbooks. With great anticipation I began this book about a group of kittens, their mother and a bloodhound who live underneath the house of a sadistic man to escape his abuse. Also brought into the equation is a snake imprisoned for a thousand years in a jar. Enough said. While I recognize the beauty of the language, some images were too vivid, events too disturbing for me with the storyline distracting as it jumps around. I skipped through to know the ending but could not dwell on the passages in between.

Another I thought was too..... was "The Unknowns; A Mystery" by Benedict Carey. Geometry was the key to solving the mystery of the disappearing people on this tiny island that housed a power plant. While solving mathematical equations is interesting there was not enough action to keep me going. I limped to the finish just because I wanted to find out the end but even that was not as satifying as I thought it could be.

And a third, "A Hidden Magic" by Vivian Vande Velde. This is an author whom I have come to really like. Her books such as "Heir Apparent", "Three Good Deeds", "Never Trust a Dead Man" are all good. I was excited to pick up this book to read over the weekend. Nope - I didn't get it. Oh I know it is a play on fairy tales etc. but just found it to be so so-so. When there are so many good ones I did not want to waste anyone's time on so so ones so into the recycling it went.

What are you reading today?

Thanks for letting me know you are reading "The 39 Clues" - It is hugely popular in my school and I have read part of the first book and would like to get back to the series - maybe this summer! Is the story good or just all the cards and gimmicks?

Exciting Adventure

I have had this book "Middleworld" Book 1 of The Jaguar Stones by J & P Voelkel sitting beside my bed for a while now but just picked it up to read last night. I wasn't sure if it was my type of book. The cover looks like an adventure story and I have read a few recently and they were just ok. But I must have liked this one as I did not put it down till I finished it tonight. It is quite a ride - very unbelievable but fun and exciting - just like Indiana Jones. Max is a 14 year old who is whisked off to the land of the Mayans after his archaeologist parents disappear there. Very strange things are happening, one of which is the theft of a rare object, one of the five Jaguar stones, that is about to be illegally sold. Max decides to follow the thief and get back the stone but instead gets wrapped up in ancient myths and prophecies. A Mayan girl named Lola helps him maneuver the jungle and its inhabitants and helps him escape from a very determined and evil Spaniard who is after him. Would you believe two howler monkeys play an important and amusing part? This book is chockablock full of Mayan facts and history and is quite fascinating the way it weaves pyramids, sacrifices and secret tunnels into the story.

What are your reading today?