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You’ve really got to love a recording artist who has a very popular kids’ CD titled, Meltdown! and another called Not Naptime. The album titles alone are enough to bring a smile to a weary parent’s face. So, I wanted to think that The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade was terrific.
And, I do think it is a good book but, there are ways it could have been better.
Sally McCabe is both young and small. She is in the lowest grade at her school and she is the smallest child in the class. Kudos to the illustrator for depicting a racially diverse group of children in the classroom and at the playground. It would have been excellent to see similar diversity in terms of mobility (perhaps one child in a wheelchair or using crutches, for example).
Sally is unusually observant. She notices a kite that is tangled in a tree and she notices that the janitor’s ring has twenty-seven keys. Unfortunately, this is where my evaluation of the book begins to drop: one illustration of the janitor’s ring only shows seven keys and another shows five keys. I completely understand that twenty seven may have been essential to the rhyme BUT the illustrations should be true to the story. If the ring has twenty seven keys – the illustration of the ring should show us each one of them! Young children will pick up on this sort of disparity. They will want to know where the other twenty or twenty two keys are and the omission will detract from the important antibullying message the author is attempting to share.
When a bully pushes Sally’s classmate, the story tells us that he begins to cry but in the illustration, he is dry-eyed. These seemingly minor disparities really do make a difference and discerning young readers will notice them.
Adults may understand the (metaphorical) significance of wildflowers tipping toward light and cats meeting together in a parking lot but I doubt that, without guidance, young children will see any connection between the cats or the flowers and Sally’s story.
Essentially, Sally, observes bullying on the playground, in the hallway at school, in the classroom and in the school cafeteria. Eventually, she speaks up. She announces, “I’m tired of seeing this terrible stuff. Stop hurting each other! This is enough!”
This prompts all of Sally’s classmates and school staff members to point their fingers in the air in solidarity. Soon the school is a much more harmonious place. A somewhat “magical solution” to bullying? Yes, but, this is story that could be used to initiate discussions about bullying and social responsibility.
Isaac and his Amazing Asperger Superpowers! written and illustrated by Melanie Walsh Picture book about a child with Asperger’s Syndrome published by Candlewick Press
, Isaac and His Amazing Asperger Superpowers! is a cheerful, positive and reassuring picture book that explains how Isaac’s thoughts and behavior sometimes differ from those of his friends. Well-suited to preschool-age children or early primary classroom use, bright, bold illustrations are visually appealing and will be easily seen and interpreted in a group or classroom setting.
Friends, family members and classmates will discover that children with Asperger’s Syndrome may have different interests, energy levels and ways of interacting than others do. For example, they may like to bounce rather than play team sports or they may fidget with a toy in order to relax and listen in class. They may have difficulty understanding jokes or some in social situations. Insights are shared matter-of-factly, with respect for both the Asperger’s child and a child who does not have Asperger’s.
Using meaningful examples and fun illustrations, Walsh helps young readers to understand that children with Asperger’s Syndrome have strengths including a great memory for facts, curiosity and a heightened awareness of sounds. She also shows the special relationship an Asperger’s child can have with pets and family members.
A great addition to a personal or professional library, end papers include a list of Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome links.
Join the Summerfield sisters for a journey of family, friendship, and football in this first title of the fictional chapter book series designed for elementary-aged girls from Small Publishing.
This book, wonderfully written and illustrated by Adam Auerbach, provides a fun and imaginative tale, with a uniquely voiced female character at its center.
Voice actress Tavia Gilbert has received another outstanding review for her performance of Maggie Vaults Over the Moon by Grant Overstake, this time from prolific reviewer Jennie Mortarotti on her blog, Narrator Reviews and Audiobooks — FULL REVIEW If you … Continue reading →
0 Comments on ‘Fabulous’ Review for Tavia Gilbert’s ‘Maggie’ as of 5/26/2015 12:35:00 PM
Prolific voice actress Tavia Gilbert and first-time author Grant Overstake share the spotlight in a 4.5-star review of the audiobook version of Maggie Vaults Over the Moon. The reader and writer make “a great duo” according to reviewer Kira Moody, … Continue reading →
0 Comments on Reader and Writer Share Spotlight in Stellar ‘Maggie’ Review as of 5/5/2015 2:23:00 PM
I feel compelled to share some aspects of my personal life before I write about Anywhere but Here. I was attending university and living with my folks when my mom died four days prior to surgery that had been scheduled to repair a heart valve. It was shocking and devastating and, without a doubt, the most difficult experience of my life.
Weeks later, my dad began dating. When I say ‘weeks,’ I mean less than three months later. While still grieving the sudden loss of my mom and feeling as though my life had been turned upside down, I was watching as my dad began a relationship with a woman he would eventually marry. Dad’s second marriage was an enduring one. To be honest, I am not sure which of his marriages was longer: he celebrated twenty-fifth wedding anniversaries twice.
Anywhere but Here is the story of a young man, still in high school, who is coping with the loss of his mom. Cole finds life in a small town stifling. He is eager to finish high school and make a break from his acquaintances, friends and family. He has ended a two year relationship with a girlfriend and finds her behavior and that of some classmates confusing. His family life is in ruins. Cole’s dad drinks heavily and meets an exotic dancer. Before long, she is pregnant and Cole’s dad explains that she will be moving into the family home along with her young daughter.
With the encouragement of a school guidance counselor, Cole considers enrolling in a post secondary cinematography program. As part of his application, his must create a short film. It is while filming that Cole examines his community and gains perspective.
Beautifully written, Anywhere but Here accurately depicts the turmoil and confusion that occur when one parent dies and the surviving parent enters into a new relationship – especially when the surviving child(ren) are young adults. I especially liked the authenticity of Cole’s voice and the relationships between Cole and his guidance counselor, his mom’s former nurse and his classmates. This is a novel that begs for a sequel and I very much look forward to reading it.
Prairie is unhappy when her grandmother up and announces that it's time she moves home. After all, Grammy is much more than simply a grandmother to Prairie; she is her friend and her teacher as well. Especially since they moved up to New Paltz, NY from North Carolina.
Prairie's family inherited the farm from her mama's side of the family. New Paltz is where she grew up, and now the Evers family are trying to make a go of life by living off this small portion of land. Folks in town seem to have lots to say about this whole situation.
When Prairie and her mama are in town to pick up Prairie's new chicks, her mama leaves her in the malt shop while she runs some errands. While Prairie is sitting at the counter top, she overhears some women mention her mama's name. The women go on to talk all kinds of foolishness about her family-- how Prairie probably can't even read and isn't in school -- how her family probably doesn't have two pennies to rub together -- and it is everything Prairie can do to sit put and not give those women a piece of her mind.
One of those insults, however, is soon unfounded. Prairie's folks tell her that she has to enroll in school. Grammy has always taught Prairie before. They were explorers, learning about things that are interesting. How can she ever go to a school where she is trapped inside all day? How can she ever learn to raise her hand when she has something to say? Or not to blurt out an answer?
School is only made bearable by the one friend that Prairie sets on making. Her name is Ivy Blake. She's clearly a loner and a pretty quiet one at that, but Prairie seeks her out and soon they are spending lots of time together, and Prairie actually starts to feel happy. But as she slowly peels back the layers of Ivy's existence, Prairie realizes that things are not always as they seem.
Ellen Airgood has written a story of family, friendship and loss that while sad in measure is buoyed by an overarching feeling of hope. Even though Prairie and Ivy are misfits on their own, together they are strong and they even each other out. Ivy's family story is an intense one and is buffered by the Evers' family's cohesiveness. There is a Southern feeling to this story despite the setting, and while the idea of the importance of making family is loud and clear, the story never gets eclipsed by it. Prairie is a strong protagonist and readers are likely to admire her even as they cringe at her adjustments to school life.
0 Comments on Prairie Evers, by Ellen Airgood as of 1/1/1900
Thanks for reviewing this. Ellen is a local author in my area, but I haven't read her books yet. Plus, I deal with a lot of home-schooled kids at one library, and kids transitioning from home-schooling into public schools at my other, so it sounds like I really should look into "Prairie Evers." :)
Hi viewers and KatGirl Studio fans, guess what came out today?
If you said Daemons in the Mist then you are correct! My debut Young Adult novel Daemons in the Mist is now available in a paperback book edition for only $14.99.
That’s right you can now enjoy this story in both print and e-book form. The book is currently only available from Amazon and the publisher’s website but we will have Indiebound options soon and Signed Editions as well.
She could have been a perfectly normal, albeit a breathtakingly beautiful girl, but she wasn’t, for I knew there were secrets hidden behind her eyes.
Seventeen year old Patrick Connolly has been drawn to Nualla ever since he first saw her, but as the years pass she seems to take absolutely no notice of him. Until, that is, he rescues her from a confrontation in the school hallway. Little does he know that he’s about to be thrust into a world of life altering secrets and things that shouldn’t exist, because the fog and mist of San Francisco is concealing more than just buildings.
Deliriously captivating and extraordinarily soulful, Daemons in the Mist beautifully weaves together two voices to tell the story of what happens when life leads you down a not so normal path.
Hi viewers and KatGirl Studio fans, guess what came out this weekend?
If you said Daemons in the Mist then you are correct! My debut Young Adult novel Daemons in the Mist is now available in e-book form for the Kindle and Nook for only $2.99. That’s right, you can enjoy Daemons in the Mist for less than the cost of a cup of coffee. You start exploring the mystery of The Marked Ones by download a free sample at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. For those of you who love the feel of the printed book, don’t worry, the print edition will be out in early June.
Don’t have an e-reader? No problem, you can get the Kindle or Nook app for free for the following devices: PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, BlackBerry, Nook, NOOKcolor, NookStudy, NOOK kids, Android Tablet and Android-based phones.
She could have been a perfectly normal, albeit a breathtakingly beautiful girl, but she wasn’t, for I knew there were secrets hidden behind her eyes.
Seventeen year old Patrick Connolly has been drawn to Nualla ever since he first saw her, but as the years pass she seems to take absolutely no notice of him. Until, that is, he rescues her from a confrontation in the school hallway. Little does he know that he’s about to be thrust into a world of life altering secrets and things that shouldn’t exist, because the fog and mist of San Francisco is concealing more than just buildings.
Deliriously captivating and extraordinarily soulful, Daemons in the Mist beautifully weaves together two voices to tell the story of what happens when life leads you down a not so normal path.
Effie Maloney is dying to go to camp! Ever since her big sister Maxey had come home from her end of 4th grade experience at Camp Wickitawa, Effie has been excited. She can’t imagine anything better than a week away from home, her sister and her family with her 2 best friends Nit (short for Trinity) and Aurora at camp! She is super happy that the Principal of her school is letting one of her bffs Aurora go to camp with them, since Aurora doesn’t even go to St. Dom’s anymore!
Effie has been planning and planning, but there are a couple of things that she definitely is not ready for. The first is that big sister Maxey will be at camp with her. Sure she will be working in the kitchen, but still…Effie really wanted this to be her year at camp. Secondly, she is stunned when she finds she doesn’t even want to get off the bus! All the planning, all of the reading of the camp handbook, all of the anticipation seems to have evaporated.
Effie is beside herself. Here she is at Camp Wickitawa with Aurora and Nit and Effie can tell that there is something terribly wrong. She feels like she can’t breathe and she’s cold all over. She is trying to be excited, but she’s finding it incredibly difficult. Add the fact that everyone else seems to be finding their place with ease, and Effie is feeling more like an outcast than ever! She’s not liking the food, she’s not connecting with her friends, she’s the only 4th grader who can’t swim, and the only thing that she seems to be good at is walking her bunkmates to the biffy in the middle of the night.
Effie’s CIT Cricket says that soon she’ll be so busy that her mind will be off of feeling badly. Effie’s not sure she believes Cricket, but since her mom is away from home at a well deserved retreat, there’s not much she can do about it but try.
The funny thing is, things do get a bit better without Effie even noticing.First, there is Chica who lives at the camp and decides that Effie is going to be her friend. Next, there is the cute boy Swat who works in the kitchen and always remembers that she likes to drink iced tea. Then there is the fact that her friends are rallying behind her when they realize that she is uncomfortable. There is nothing like having 2 best friends!
This is the third book featuring Effie Maloney, but readers will have no problem picking it up if they have not read the first two (Effie Maloney: My Big Sister is So Bossy She Says You Can’t Read This Book and 10 Lucky Things That Have Happened to Me Since I Nearly Got Hit by Lightning). Effie is a super likable, if somewhat worry filled, character who readers will root for. This installment sees her getting a little deeper in her judging of other people as well as her understanding of herself.
Mary Hershey writes with a truly hilarious voice that had me laughing out loud several times during my read (starting with one of the funniest first lines I have come across in a long time)! Effie and her friends are heartfelt and believable, and most readers will see themselves somewhere in these pages.
0 Comments on Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity, by Mary Hershey as of 1/1/1900
This super cute pink haired girl just about jumped off the galley table at the Lerner Publishing preview during BEA. I wanted to read it, for no other reason than the super cute Nola and her friends on the cover. I wasn't disappointed. (note: the US cover is slightly different from this one...Nola's hair is longer, the title is different and there is a blue wash to the whole thing)
Nola lives home with her uber busy Mom and her cat in the town of Alta Donna. In Nola's words, "This is my hometown, my world, a peaceful and pleasant little paradise. In a word...absolutely boring." (p. 3) Her days are filled with trying to get to school on time, and trying not to be disappointed when her mom shows up late again. All of that is about to change thanks to classmate Damiano.
Nola helps him save face during math one day, and as they walk down the hall together they run into Damiano's sister Ines, who is being *incredibly* rude to a teacher. After Damiano excuses himself to talk to Ines, Nola does a bit of eavesdropping and shorting becomes obsessed with the sibs. Are they spies? Runaways? Witness Protection kids? Add to that the fact that the school librarian has just been attacked, and Nola has herself a full blown mystery to solve.
She starts trailing Damiano to see what she can find, and soon becomes enchanted with Ines' beguiling ways. Nola's bff Pumpkin is a bit worried, and hopes that her friend will be alright.
Just when Nola is starting to get the answers that she originally set out to find, the book comes to a crashing, cliff-hangering stop which may me cry, "Noooo! I need book 2!!!!"
Just the way I like it!
The art has a manga edge, but it's not too much. There is lots of movement in the panels as well, but what makes the book sing are the colours. Incredibly vibrant (in the Magic Trixie vein), just looking at the pages is bound to make readers happy.
Fun, fun, fun!
1 Comments on Nola's Worlds #1, last added: 6/8/2010
Tommy is just trying to get through sixth grade. He’s not the most popular guy, but he’s not the biggest weirdo either. That particular title belongs to Dwight. Dwight is always doing odd things that aren’t helping his social status; stuff like “barfing in class because he ate thirteen servings of canned peaches as lunch” (p.4), or answering Tommy’s questions simply with the word “purple” over and over again.
Dwight’s latest thing is wearing a origami Yoda finger puppet and doling out advice. Tommy’s not sure what to make of this. On one hand, it’s the kind of odd Dwight behavior that fits Dwight’s profile, on the other hand, some of the advice that’s been handed out has been good advice. Tommy decides along with his buddies Harvey and Kellen to make a case file documenting origami Yoda’s successes and failures so that Tommy knows whether or not to trust origami Yoda with his own big question!
The “files” are all told by the people who asked Yoda for advice in the first place and each segment ends with Harvey’s two cents (he’s kind of like a control since he doesn’t believe in Yoda’s powers at all), and Tommy’s own opinion. Throughout the case file, readers are treated to a full serving of life in middle school, including embarrassing pant stains, pop quiz ethics, Shakespeare bust mysteries, and the ever nerve inducing school dance (renamed “Fun Night” to take the pressure off).
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is a laugh-out-loud funny read, and captures that same essence of The Diary Wimpy Kid books without trying to imitate them. Tommy is a quintessential middle school kid, and the push-pull of his relationships with Dwight and Harvey will feel familiar to many readers. is equal girl and boy appeal, as the advice that is asked tends to be universally middle school in scope.
If some of you doubt the possibility of a kid pulling off a month of wearing an origami Yoda puppet, I say you just haven’t spent enough time in a middle school. This is exactly the kind of thing that goes on in the cafeteria and hallways.
Fun, fun, fun!
1 Comments on The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, by Tom Angleberger, last added: 5/24/2010
I completely agree with you! I could so see this happening in my middle school - in the 6th or 7th grade. I've meet kids like Dwight. I loved how it rant true. I shared it with my students and it was checked out by the end of the day!
In this kicky new series, authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams have taken the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus and given them the tween treatment by placing them at Mount Olympus Academy -- a private school located on the Mount.
In the first book, Athena is busily hanging around with her best-friend Pallas when a message scroll from Mount Olympus breezes through her bedroom window. When she opens it, she cannot believe what it says! The scroll is from Zeus himself, and it says that Athena is his daughter and that she is commanded to journey to Mount Olympus to attend the Academy with the other godboys and goddessgirls. She isn't a hundred percent sure that she wants to leave her best friend and the life that she knows, but she doesn't have much choice in the matter.
Before long, Athena is whisked by chariot up to Mount Olympus by Hermes himself, where she finds herself before a nine headed secretary (Ms. Hydra) who wants to know what classes she is taking. She chooses the first five that sound interesting, then is whisked into the hallway where she sees all kinds of intriguing folks including a trio of girls with shimmery skin.
These girls turn out to be none other than Artemis, Aphrodite, and Persephone and soon they and Athena are hanging around and trying to stay out of Medusa's way.
This is a fun, breezy series with the background of Greek Mythology that isn't too heavy, but is filled with the trappings that readers will recognize. Ambrosia, a teacher named Mr. Cyclops, a cute godboy name Poseidon and many more make multiple appearances in this installment. With its super cute cover and perfect drop of drama and romance, I predict this series will fly off the shelves and be passed hand to hand.
1 Comments on Goddess Girls : Athena the Brain, last added: 5/20/2010
Amelia is in a pickle. Actually, she is up a tree. She's sitting there with Rhonda after an angry mob from Joe McCarthy Elementary chased them out of the hallways and into the streets.
What could Amelia have done that caused such a reaction?
Well, it all has to do with popularity...or unpopularity. When you run around with a bunch of kids who dress up as superheroes, have wonky hair, or wear PJs all the time, there are bound to be some bumps in the road to popularity. When Rhonda comes up with a plan to change their social status using a book called The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular, things get really hairy! Spouting advice such as, "Fate and genetics may have already decided that you will never be popular, but at least, with my help, you need no longer be UNpopular.", and "Makeovers are not about making you look good, they are about making you look trendy." TTGTNBU sends our kids for quite the loop. When Rhonda's efforts are spurned by Britney and her flunkies, Amelia can't take it anymore. Why do kids always seem to stand by and keep quiet when someone is being mean? Amelia opens her mouth this time, and boy oh boy does she open it wide!
Filled with smart humor as well as homages to cartoonists and comics of the past (love the Archie bit), Jimmy Gownley has penned another winner. With a universal theme of un/popularity, all kids regardless of clique can easily find someone to identify with. It could be Jenny Gray, who sealed her fate by simply wearing mismatched socks one day. It could be Britney who has something to overcompensate for after all. Perhaps Kyle who is pretty cool on his own. Or maybe Rhonda who desperately wants to be popular. Gownley simply gets kids and seems to be privy to their world. While there is the thread that adults enjoy as well, it never interferes with the story proper, and these books truly know their readers. Amelia Rules remains my favorite graphic novel series for kids!
1 Comments on Amelia Rules! -- The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular, last added: 4/9/2010
This sounds super fun and cute! I hadn't heard of it. So glad you shared it. I'm loving all this graphic novels that are coming out. It's helping get my reluctant readers reading. And many I've hooked with them - have moved into nongraphic novels. Looks like I have another to add to the pile.
Ahhhh, chicklit. Every now and again it's just what the doctor ordered, and yours truly, Lucy B. Parker - girl vs. superstar is pretty much all you could ask for!
It's the beginning of sixth grade, and Lucy is in a rut. She has just been friend-dumped by her BFFs Rachel and Missy, she barely survived the "hat incident", super annoying Marissa has decided to befriend Lucy now that Rachel and Missy are gone, and now Lucy's mother decides that now is the right time to tell her that she has been dating! And where does Lucy's mom decide to drop this bombshell? Only at Barbara's Bra World, which is pretty much Lucy's version of, well...you know.
So, who could this mystery man be? Is it the barista from the coffee place? One of Lucy's teachers? No. It's Alan Moses, the father of teen sensation Laurel Moses (who happens to be responsible for the hat incident). Laurel's in town shooting, and Lucy's mom has be tutoring her, and before she knew it, she was dating Alan.
Lucy cannot imagine anything worse. Not only is Laurel tall and beautiful, but all of the kids in Lucy's school are obsessed with her. Lucy sees a future of being seen as second best.
But, things are not always as they seem, and sometime perfection on the outside belies an imperfect inside.
Robin Palmer has written a delicious piece of chicklit that has a heart. Yes, there are mean girls (trust me...mean girls exist in real life too), but there is lots of charm as well. Lucy is a quirky girl (complete with a fascination with all things menstrual)and her parents are interesting and present. Sixth grade life is represented well complete with the emotional roller coaster climbing to fun loving and plummeting back down to despair in a real time tween fashion. This is the first in a series, and I am looking forward to watching Lucy grow!
0 Comments on yours truly, Lucy B. Parker - girl vs. superstar as of 1/1/1900
Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang have been friends forever. They are in their last year before middle school, and they know it’s time to take action regarding their popularity. Better stated, their lack of popularity is the real problem. They have watched Lydia’s sister make the transition to middle school and somewhere along the lines she went from a tanned, cute, musical girl to a pale, black-haired, pierced being. To tell the truth, Lydia and Julie are a bit scared of her, and want to make sure that nothing like that happens to them along the way.
But how to get popular? They decide their best course of action is to do some good old-fashioned research by studying the girls who are now popular, and recording their findings in a journal. They divide the work up by having Julie do most of the writing and drawing (since she’s better at both), and having Lydia dictate.
They study the 4 main popular girls: Gretchen (who has the cool blonde streak in her hair), Lisa (who has the expensive cell phone), Jane (the fashionista, theater girl) and Sukie (who they can’t really figure out). Should they dye their hair like Gretchen? Learn to knit or play field hockey like Sukie? Start to like boys?
The girls end up trying various hobbies and interests of the other girls on for size. Is the result popularity? What do you think?
Amy Ignatow has created a super cute scrapbook-style book, that tween readers will eat up. Not only is the format fun, by Ignatow is able to go beyond the format to get at the meaty issues of girl-friendships. There are bossy moments, backstabbing moments and she brings the ebbs and flows of girl-friendship alive on the pages. And Julia's parents just happen to be two dads, which is always a good thing. Ignatow does this with panache, without Julia's family being a big deal, simply a fact.
I read this in arc format (due out 4/10) and I cannot wait to see the final copy. The details even in the arc are stupendous with scotch taped bits, school notes, and hilarious illustrations. I hand sold it to a big reader of mine, and it’s safe to say that The Popularity Papers won’t cross my desk again until every girl (and some of the boys) in her class have read it
0 Comments on The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang as of 2/5/2010 3:25:00 PM
Nathan is tired of being picked on. All in one day, he had his heart stomped on by Shawna Lanchester, got picked last in gym class, and then couldn’t even get past the easy level on the zombie video game while everyone was watching him. Nathan isn’t even at the bottom of the 5th grade totem pole, but school is still pretty much tortuous. He is walking home with his friend Mookie when Abigail, who is at the bottom of the totem pole, comes up to him and offers to help. She says that her uncle is a scientist who is working on a formula to mask unhappiness. Although it doesn’t seem like a very good idea, Nathan and Mookie go anyway. There’s a bit of an accident, and Nathan gets an overdose of the formula. He seems to suffer no ill effects and heads home. Soon, however, the effects creep in. His food isn’t digesting, he doesn’t sleep, he feels no pain and he isn’t even breathing. It may seem really cool on the surface, but Nathan’s not ready to be fully zombified yet. Can Nathan get back to his normal 5th grade self before it’s too late?
This is the first in a series about Nathan and his friends. David Lubar gets kids, and this book is gross and funny and perfectly paced. The quality of life for many middle schoolers is exposed with the mean kids reigning supreme in places like the cafeteria and the track. No matter what side of the popularity fence readers falls on, readers will recognize themselves in the students of Belgosi Upper Elementary.
Plus…zombies! Doesn’t get better than that!
2 Comments on My Rotten Life (Nathan Abercrombie Accidental Zombie), last added: 9/12/2009
Sounds like it's gonna be a good read! Thanks for your review! I'm so happy I found you through A Patchwork of Books. I'm a 7th grade english teacher and fellow blogger. It has been super hard to find blogs that review Tween/MG books! I found tons of Teen/YA ones. I'll be following and reading your reviews!
Hi Jill: Thanks for stopping by! I started Tweendom because of the need for focused recommendations for MG/Tween titles, so I am happy that you are finding this space useful! Cheers!
Here is the buzz book of the year (so far, anyway). The arc sat around in my library closet for a long time. I’m not sure why I didn’t pick it up right away; it could have been the quiet cover or the time setting of 1978. What I realized was that I needed to read this book all in one sitting.
Miranda is at that 6th grade period in her life where all of the shifting seems to happen. Her best-friend Sal doesn’t want to hang out anymore, she’s noticing the shabbiness of her apartment for the first time, and the fact that her mother named her after a criminal is really bugging her. The two constants in her life are the laughing man hanging out under her mailbox, and the battered copy of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time that Miranda carries around everywhere that she goes.
Once Sal has ditched her, Miranda fortunately notices that two girls in her class Julia and Annemarie seem to be in a fight. Miranda sagely notes that “…The girls at school had been hurting each other’s feeling for years…I had watched them trade best friends, start wars, cry, trade back, make treaties, squeal and grab each other’s arms in this fake excited way, et cetera, et cetera…”(arc p.33). Miranda decides to capitalize on the girl’s fight and ask Annemarie to lunch. She accepts and Miranda’s 6th grade year takes on a decidedly different feel. Annemarie, Miranda and Colin get a job at the local sub shop, Miranda and Annemarie have sleep overs, and Miranda develops her first crush.
This all sounds very realistic fiction, right? Wrong. At the same time is running a subplot that involves mysterious notes and time travel. I know, right? Interestingly enough, I have recently read a YA book dealing with parallel universes (Bray’s Going Bovine), and watched a documentary (Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives) about eels frontman Mark Oliver Everette’s father’s work in quantum physics. It’s sometimes fascinating how these things all seem to come together at once.
Looking this over, I realize that this isn’t much of an informative blurb. Many before me have noted the difficulty in summing up this book. I am going to be interested to see which kids take to When You Reach Me. There have been many adults who have finished the last page and uttered a “hmm”, and immediately flipped back to the start. I would particularly like to see the reaction from young people who are recent readers of L’Engle’s work.
Refreshingly different and filled with insight, Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me is part mystery, part slice-of-life, and part science fiction. It has the feel of the kind of book that is going to stand the test of time. (I wonder if my 67 year old self will agree!)
Have you ever thought about what might really be going on in the life of your Lunch Lady?
Most people don't think about it, but Hector, Terrence and Dee have recently started to wonder. "Maybe she has a family to take care of"..."I bet she has like a hundred cats!"..."Maybe she's some sort of secret-agent spy or something...".
Lunch Lady and her side-kick Betty do have something going on after all. Beneath the cafeteria is a lab of sorts where ordinary kitchen utensils and sundries are altered into gadgets and weaponry.
But why would a school need Lunch Lady superheroes?
Because the teachers aren't necessarily who they seem to be. Previously unknown substitute Mr. Pasteur is suddenly stepping in for popular teacher Mr. O'Connell who hasn't been sick in 20 years. Sound fishy? It should!
Jarrett J. Krosoczka has written a laugh-out-loud funny graphic novel that is sure to have kids talking. From the familiar school angst that Hector, Terrence and Dee are facing, to the wise cracking maintenance man, readers will recognize their own lives. Add in an over the top dash of superhero action, and readers will be passing these hand to hand without checking them back in to the library! The black, white and yellow illustrations are effective and lend not only to instant recognition of the series (a la Babymouse), but are clean yet filled with movement at the same time.
Jarrett. J. Krosoczka gets funny and he gets what kids like. Look for Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, and Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians on shelves in summer '09!
0 Comments on Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute as of 1/1/1900
I’m not going to ALA. As I mentioned before, I’m not a member and Philadelphia in January is not my idea of a good time. However, I do stay in touch with many ALA-ers and Monika Antonelli brought this Task Force of the Environment Campaign “Cup by Cup for a Greener ALA” It’s very very simple
Bring a reusable cup to Midwinter
Fill it with a favorite beverage
Raise your cup and tell colleagues how you are helping the planet
Drink, repeat & support TFOE-SRRT efforts toward a sustainable ALA.
One of the things that is distressing about having these big destination events is the huge amounts of waste that are generated. Council alone prints up tons of paper documents that were already distributed electronically, many of which are recycled (hopefully) or thrown out (likely) right after the meeting.
Even conscientious librarians who might bring their meals if they were just going to work wind up buying bottled water and packaged snacks because they’re trapped in the wasteland that is vast convention centers. Spend a little bit of time beforehand this year and try to pack a travel mug, a few powerbars or some fruit, your own pen and notebook, and maybe some teabags or Emergen-C that can keep you from spending time, money and resources just keeping yourself fed, hydrated and in prime note taking shape. Enjoy yourselves.
10 Comments on bring your favorite mug or water bottle to ALA, last added: 1/9/2008
Thanks so much for posting about this. I’ve had on-again/off-again conversations with colleagues for years about ways to make libraries more environmentally sustainable places, with limitied success at best. At events like ALA, I see those bags of flyers, catalogs, and whatnot leaving the exhibit floor and just cringe. 99% of it is destined for a trash can within hours.
Bottled water is a particular evil. At a recent conference in DC, I was sharing a room with a colleague and made some crack about the $6 bottle of Fiji water the hotel left on the table. He said, you know it comes from Fiji, right? I laughed and figured he was pulling my leg. Fiji? Seriously, it must just be a marketing schtick. Oh no, it really is from Fiji. I almost dropped dead on the spot. Now when I see someone consuming that brand, I want to accost and berate them for the sheer stupidity of it all.
Amanda said, on 1/4/2008 6:13:00 AM
Unfortunately, a lot of us fly to the conferences. I really would love to bring my metal water bottle, but according to the airline I’m flying with, “…Empty containers (that could contain liquids) are not allowed; and neither are partially used larger containers.” (http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/travelplanning/advisory/default.aspx)
I never check baggage, so I would have to buy a reusable bottle in Philly.
Now if someone would give away travel mugs or bottles with postage and an envelope to send the item home, that’d be handy!
Joy Kennedy said, on 1/4/2008 8:12:00 AM
Oh, DaleA, don’t you get the LIKE TOTAL benefit of drinking water from a small island in the middle of the ocean. I mean, like why would you drink tap water (even purified) rather than tap water from far away. JEEZ! and it is so TOTALLY to have your own fresh new clear plastic (doesn’t that give you cancer or something) bottle each time. And for only $6 instead for free. I mean if its free it must not be worth anything. JEEZ, I mean that would be like going to the library to get a book rather than just buying your own….;-)
RedheadFangirl said, on 1/4/2008 10:23:00 AM
Good ideas, long convention days can just wear you out. But as someone who is taking the train to Philly for a day, and a relative local– go just across the street from the Con Center to the Reading Terminal Market. Tons of fruit, veggies for sale– just about every type of food you can imagine. I like the chocolate guitars myself!
Amanda said, on 1/4/2008 12:01:00 PM
Of course, now I’m thinking I might just send my bottle down to the hotel. I’ll probably be sending conference materials back to myself from Philly anyway, so I could send it back then. Cheaper than a new bottle!
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sarah louise said, on 1/8/2008 3:36:00 PM
Not related in the reusable mug variety, and I’m not going to ALA, I’m going to PLA in March, but PLA is going totally paperless. So if you want hand-outs, you’ll have to print them yourselves!! I think this goes a long way.
Chocolate guitars??
Susie Lorand said, on 1/8/2008 8:03:00 PM
Amanda, that’s interesting about USAirways. On other airlines (Northwest, Southwest, Midwest) I’ve had no trouble carrying an *empty* water bottle onto the plane.
Adam Feldman said, on 1/8/2008 8:33:00 PM
Jessamyn, what about January in Philadelphia doesn’t sound like a good time? This month begins as the past hundred or so have with the Mummers Parade–certainly the largest working class Saturnalian drag show anywhere. Weather has cracked the 60s the past couple days.
And when the hustle of city life gets you down, we have the the incomparable urban wilderness of the Wissahickon to explore with not much of train, bike, or bus ride away: http://www.fow.org/calendar.php
The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade written by Justin Roberts and illustrated by Christian Robinson
is a cheerful, positive and reassuring picture book that explains how Isaac’s thoughts and behavior sometimes differ from those of his friends. Well-suited to preschool-age children or early primary classroom use, bright, bold illustrations are visually appealing and will be easily seen and interpreted in a group or classroom setting.
Thanks for reviewing this. Ellen is a local author in my area, but I haven't read her books yet. Plus, I deal with a lot of home-schooled kids at one library, and kids transitioning from home-schooling into public schools at my other, so it sounds like I really should look into "Prairie Evers." :)