The 13th Reality, Volume 1: The Journal of Curious Letters
by James Dashner
42 Miles by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
Along Came Spider by James Preller
Comeback Season by Jennifer Smith
Curse of Addy McMahon by Katie Davis
Deep Down Popular by Phoebe Stone
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost
A Difficult Boy by M.P. Barker
The Dragon's Child by Laurence Yep
Facttracker by Jason Carter Easton
Greetings from Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor
Grow by Juanita Havill
House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
Jeremy Cabbage and the Living Museum of Human Oddballs and Quadruped Delights
by David Elliott
Jimmy's Stars by MaryAnn Rodman
Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park
Keeping the Night Watch by Hope Anita Smith
The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda
Manolito Four-Eyes by Elvira Lindo
Princess Ben by Catherine Murdock
Redheaded Princess by Ann Rinaldi
Rex Zero: King of Nothing by Tim Wynne-Jones
Ringside, 1925: Views from the Scopes Trial by Jen Bryant
Savvy by Ingrid Law
Seer of Shadows by Avi
Six Innings by James Preller
Skin Deep by E. M. Crane
Skylar by Mary Cuffe-Perez
A Thousand Never Evers by Shana Burg
Trouble by Gary Schmidt
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
Where the Steps Where by Andrea Cheng
Showing posts with label Short List 2 August 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Short List 2 August 2008. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Diamond Willow
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost
Diamond Willow, a young Alaskan of 
Athabascan and European descent, doesn't have many friends; she's happiest when she's sledding her father's dogs and visiting her grandparents. When her first solo dogsled trip to her grandparents ends with a terrible crash that blinds her father's favorite dog, Roxy, she sets to making sure that Roxy will live out her days with care and not undergo euthanasia-a decision that leads to an amazing revelation about her family.
Athabascan and European descent, doesn't have many friends; she's happiest when she's sledding her father's dogs and visiting her grandparents. When her first solo dogsled trip to her grandparents ends with a terrible crash that blinds her father's favorite dog, Roxy, she sets to making sure that Roxy will live out her days with care and not undergo euthanasia-a decision that leads to an amazing revelation about her family.Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A Difficult Boy
A Difficult Boy by M.P. BarkerIt is 1839 and nine-year-old Ethan finds himself an indentured servant working for Mr. Lyman, a mean-spirited shopkeeper in Massachusetts. When Ethan and another young servant are beaten by Mr. Lyman, the two boys find out what it takes to be a friend.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
A Thousand Never Evers
A Thousand Never Evers by Shana Burg
By the time Addie Ann Pickett, the narrator, enters junior high, she is well aware of the racial divisions in her county. 
She has been warned not to stay on the white side of town after the sun has set and not to "look at white folks too close." But her older brother and the local minister have different ideas and argue that "there comes a time when a man's dignity's worth more than his life." Caught between her mother's rule to stay away from trouble and the call to take action, Addie must make decisions, especially when the lives of two family members are at stake.
She has been warned not to stay on the white side of town after the sun has set and not to "look at white folks too close." But her older brother and the local minister have different ideas and argue that "there comes a time when a man's dignity's worth more than his life." Caught between her mother's rule to stay away from trouble and the call to take action, Addie must make decisions, especially when the lives of two family members are at stake.Thursday, July 3, 2008
Along Came Spider
Along Came Spider by James Preller
Middle grade fiction should be like a "nest box". Carefully constructed, accessible, written for the "different species...all competing for nesting places". Along Came Spider is a "nest box".
I laughed out loud when Trey tried to answer the "trick" question about if he was finished sharpening his pencils.
He used the classroom poster's tips for Creating Smiles (Say Something Nice to Someone) "Mrs. Wine, you are Awesome...and you rock!" Preller tells an everyday story with eloquence and empathetic grace. These ordinary (amazing) kids are growing up -- daily making their own way, raised by parents, guided by teachers and events. Often in groups, always alone, trying to figure themselves and others out. No under or overstated angst here, the author just tells us about it, and lets the characters speak. Here's a couple more of my favorite quotes from Along Came Spider:
Middle grade fiction should be like a "nest box". Carefully constructed, accessible, written for the "different species...all competing for nesting places". Along Came Spider is a "nest box".
I laughed out loud when Trey tried to answer the "trick" question about if he was finished sharpening his pencils.
He used the classroom poster's tips for Creating Smiles (Say Something Nice to Someone) "Mrs. Wine, you are Awesome...and you rock!" Preller tells an everyday story with eloquence and empathetic grace. These ordinary (amazing) kids are growing up -- daily making their own way, raised by parents, guided by teachers and events. Often in groups, always alone, trying to figure themselves and others out. No under or overstated angst here, the author just tells us about it, and lets the characters speak. Here's a couple more of my favorite quotes from Along Came Spider: "The kettle whistled; it didn't particularly care if anyone whistled back..."
"Ms. Lobel, you rock..."
"You have good observation skills, Spider,...you see things..."
"You know...I think a nest box is like this library. It's a safe, clean,quiet place...This place is my nest box..."
"They didn't know about the future, or where it would take them, but nobody ever does..."
Reviewed by Nan Hoekstra, read in uncorrected proof. Thank You Shannon Penney at Scholastic. Thanks James Preller, for (another) outstanding contribution to literature for precious children.
Reviewed by Nan Hoekstra, read in uncorrected proof. Thank You Shannon Penney at Scholastic. Thanks James Preller, for (another) outstanding contribution to literature for precious children.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Princess Ben: Being a Wholly Truthful Account of Her Various Discoveries and Misadventures, Recounted to the Best of Her Recollection, in Four Parts
Princess Ben: Being a Wholly Truthful Account of Her Various Discoveries and Misadventures, Recounted to the Best of Her Recollection, in Four Parts by Catherine Gilbert MurdockA girl is transformed, through instruction in life at court, determination, and magic, from sullen, pudgy, graceless Ben into Crown Princess Benevolence, a fit ruler of the kindgom of Montagne as it faces war with neighboring Drachensbett.
Friday, June 13, 2008
42 Miles
42 Miles by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, illustrated by Elaine Clayton
JoEllen's parents divorced when she was very young, so she was used to splitting her time between them, shuttling four blocks from one Cincinnati apartment to another. But when her dad moved to the old family farm last year, her life was suddenly divided. Now on weekdays she's a city girl, called Ellen, who hangs out with her friends, plays the sax, and loves old movies. And on weekends she's a country girl, nicknamed Joey, who rides horseback with her cousin, Hayden, goes fishing, and listens to bluegrass. So where do her loyalties lie? Who is the real JoEllen? Linked free-verse poems, illustrated with a quirky array of found objects and mementos, create the vivid, realistic portrait of a young girl at a defining moment in her life.
JoEllen's parents divorced when she was very young, so she was used to splitting her time between them, shuttling four blocks from one Cincinnati apartment to another. But when her dad moved to the old family farm last year, her life was suddenly divided. Now on weekdays she's a city girl, called Ellen, who hangs out with her friends, plays the sax, and loves old movies. And on weekends she's a country girl, nicknamed Joey, who rides horseback with her cousin, Hayden, goes fishing, and listens to bluegrass. So where do her loyalties lie? Who is the real JoEllen? Linked free-verse poems, illustrated with a quirky array of found objects and mementos, create the vivid, realistic portrait of a young girl at a defining moment in her life.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Keeping the Night Watch
Keeping the Night Watch by Hope Anita Smith with illustrations by E.B. Lewis
Now that C.J.'s father, who had left the family, has returned, the teen notes that dinners are like "a roomful of strangers" and that he feels weighed down by "brick heavy" questions. Wise beyond his years, eldest son C.J.
felt it was his role to "keep the night watch" during his father's absence. Now, he feels displaced in his own home and seethes with anger and resentment. Gradually, everyone starts to move on: C.J. experiences the awkward elation of first love, tries his hand at shaving, and argues and makes up with his best friend. His little sister sends love notes to each family member, and, at book's end, C.J. and his family come together: "We dance on our tears."
Now that C.J.'s father, who had left the family, has returned, the teen notes that dinners are like "a roomful of strangers" and that he feels weighed down by "brick heavy" questions. Wise beyond his years, eldest son C.J.
felt it was his role to "keep the night watch" during his father's absence. Now, he feels displaced in his own home and seethes with anger and resentment. Gradually, everyone starts to move on: C.J. experiences the awkward elation of first love, tries his hand at shaving, and argues and makes up with his best friend. His little sister sends love notes to each family member, and, at book's end, C.J. and his family come together: "We dance on our tears."
The Underneath
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by David Small
When fate separates them, an old hound dog and two foster kittens survive the dangers of the bayou to find one another.
Seeking shelter, a homeless pregnant cat responds to the "bluesy" baying of a hound named Ranger who lives chained under the porch of a shack in the woods of the East Texas bayou. He happily shares the Underneath with the cat and her two kittens, Sabine and Puck. The kittens are safe from Ranger's evil master Gar Face as long as they remain hidden, but Puck ventures out "straight into the terrible hands of Gar Face," who does his best to drown both the curious kitten and his mother. Somehow Puck escapes after promising his dying mother he will find Sabine and free Ranger, but he's on his own in a bayou teeming with mysterious creatures.
When fate separates them, an old hound dog and two foster kittens survive the dangers of the bayou to find one another.
Seeking shelter, a homeless pregnant cat responds to the "bluesy" baying of a hound named Ranger who lives chained under the porch of a shack in the woods of the East Texas bayou. He happily shares the Underneath with the cat and her two kittens, Sabine and Puck. The kittens are safe from Ranger's evil master Gar Face as long as they remain hidden, but Puck ventures out "straight into the terrible hands of Gar Face," who does his best to drown both the curious kitten and his mother. Somehow Puck escapes after promising his dying mother he will find Sabine and free Ranger, but he's on his own in a bayou teeming with mysterious creatures.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Jimmy's Stars
Jimmy's Stars by Mary Ann RodmanIn 1943, eleven-year-old Ellie is her brother Jimmy's "best girl," and when he leaves Pittsburgh just before Thanksgiving to fight in World War II, he promises he will return, asks her to leave the Christmas tree up until he does, and reminds her to "let the joy out."
Peace: A Novel by Richard Bausch
Set in Italy, 1944, this truly original and inventive work
follows the travails of a trio of three American soldiers sent on a reconnaissance mission under the guidance of a 70-year-old man. Throughout this propulsive novel, readers will find themselves engrossed in the subtle action of the soldiers as they rise to new heights in order to complete their mission, despite the treacherous terrain and retaliation from opposing forces who remain unseen. Told in minimalist language and with a profuse imagination, "Peace" ruminates brilliantly on human frailty and mercy. This is an adult novel.Monday, May 26, 2008
Savvy
Savvy by Ingrid Law
For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a "savvy"-a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen.
Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity . . . and now it's the eve of Mibs's big day. As if waiting weren't hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs's birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman's bus . . . only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up-and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin.
For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a "savvy"-a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen.
Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity . . . and now it's the eve of Mibs's big day. As if waiting weren't hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs's birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman's bus . . . only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up-and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Deep Down Popular: A Novel
Deep Down Popular: A Novel by Phoebe StoneIn a small, Virginia town, sixth-grader Jessie Lou Ferguson has a crush on the hugely popular Conrad Parker Smith, and when he suddenly develops a medical problem and the teacher asks Jessie Lou to help him, they become friends, to her surprise.
Find out more about the author Phoebe Stone.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Six Innings: A Game in the Life
Six Innings: A Game in the Life by James PrellerEarl Grubb's Pool Supplies plays Northeast Gas & Electric in the Little League championship game, while Sam, who has cancer and is in a wheelchair, has to call the play-by-play instead of participating in the game. Find out more about James Preller and his books.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Rex Zero: King of Nothing
Rex Zero: King of Nothing by Tim Wynne-Jones
Rex Norton-Norton (known as Rex Zero to his friends) has plenty of
worries. He's in major trouble for skipping out on Armistice Day ceremonies to play football with his friends. His teacher Miss Garr is totally nuts. His sister Annie Oakley is convinced that their dad fathered a half-German kid during the war. But all of that fades when Rex finds a missing address book which leads him to adventure in the form of a beautiful woman in grave peril.
Rex Norton-Norton (known as Rex Zero to his friends) has plenty of
worries. He's in major trouble for skipping out on Armistice Day ceremonies to play football with his friends. His teacher Miss Garr is totally nuts. His sister Annie Oakley is convinced that their dad fathered a half-German kid during the war. But all of that fades when Rex finds a missing address book which leads him to adventure in the form of a beautiful woman in grave peril.
Skin Deep
Skin Deep by E.M. Crane
Sixteen-year-old Andrea Anderson begins her sophomore year feeling
hopelessly average and plain, struggling to survive each school day unnoticed and to avoid her single mother's wrath. But when her homeroom teacher commits suicide in the teachers' lounge, Andrea begins to reevaluate her cautious existence. She doesn't shy away when a reclusive neighbor, diagnosed with cancer, needs help caring for her Saint Bernard and sprawling gardens.
Sixteen-year-old Andrea Anderson begins her sophomore year feeling
hopelessly average and plain, struggling to survive each school day unnoticed and to avoid her single mother's wrath. But when her homeroom teacher commits suicide in the teachers' lounge, Andrea begins to reevaluate her cautious existence. She doesn't shy away when a reclusive neighbor, diagnosed with cancer, needs help caring for her Saint Bernard and sprawling gardens.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The 13th Reality, Book 1: The Journal of Curious Letters
The 13th Reality: Book 1: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner
Atticus Higginbottom (Tick to all who know him) is smart, well-adjusted and something of a loner at school, preferring his family, the library and the Internet to his classmates. So he's surprised to receive a letter postmarked in Macadamia, Alaska, from someone he's never even heard of. But he's intrigued and makes a commitment to join with his correspondent to "save many lives."
Atticus Higginbottom (Tick to all who know him) is smart, well-adjusted and something of a loner at school, preferring his family, the library and the Internet to his classmates. So he's surprised to receive a letter postmarked in Macadamia, Alaska, from someone he's never even heard of. But he's intrigued and makes a commitment to join with his correspondent to "save many lives."
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Jeremy Cabbage and the Living Museum of Human Oddballs and Quadruped Delights
Jeremy Cabbage and the Living Museum of Human Oddballs and Quadruped Delights by David ElliottJeremy Cabbage is an orphan stuck at Harpwitch’s Home for Mean Dogs, Ugly Cats, and Strey Children, where the dogs are treated better than the kids. And things aren’t much better on the outside: the city is ruled by the arrogant and foolish Baron Ignatius von Strompié, whose Wisdom Wagons ride the streets blaring out gems like “Ignorance is bliss,” and who’s on a campaign to stamp out anyone different. At the top of his list are the cloons, outlandish people who look and act like clowns. Jeremy’s only chance is a good adoption–but who would possibly adopt Jeremy, an unloved, unwanted 11-year-old? The answer sets Jeremy off on an outrageous, comical adventure that could bring him face to face with the Baron himself.
For more about this author and his books see David Elliott's Web Site
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