Alone Book Review

 

I kept hearing about this one on Twitter--a novel written in verse about a tween girl’s survival with only a dog as a companion in Colorado. Survival stories are one of my favorites and anything with a dog elevates it. NetGalley provided me an e-ARC yesterday and I started reading it last night. Within 20 minutes, I was completely hooked! I put on my pajamas and went straight to bed to spend the evening cuddled up with this touching story. What a treat!

Maddie plans a sleepover with some friends, but they are all keeping their plans secret from their parents. In the end, Maddie ends up by herself and in the middle of the night her entire town is hastily evacuated. Each of Maddie’s parents think that she was evacuated with the other parent. Communications are non-existent with no cell service. At first she has electricity and water, but they are soon shut off. Luckily, Maddie discovers her neighbor’s dog, George, and they become close companions.

Maddie tries to follow her dad’s advice about staying put and prepares to survive the winter on her own with George. Her bravery is inspirational, but there were a couple of disturbing parts--looters, the brutal killing of a kitten, and the wrath of Mother Nature. These make me cautious about having students below the fifth grade read this one. However, I will highly recommend this to students that want fast-paced adventure/survival stories. The only criticism I have was I wanted a little more detail/information about the mass evacuation which left Maddie behind and even the ending really didn’t provide answers.

5 Stars

Unplugged Book Review

 My students and I are huge fans of middle grade author Gordon Korman. I preorder his books with absolutely no hesitations knowing they will be entertaining, timely, and appropriate. When NetGalley had his upcoming book, Unplugged, available I jumped at the chance to request it and was awarded a copy of the eARC.

It is the story of Jett Baranov, son of a tech billionaire, who is shipped off to a wellness, growth mindset retreat in the backwoods of Arkansas. Jett is constantly getting himself into major trouble and was named the most spoiled child in Silicon Valley. Oasis, the rural retreat, is anything but a sanctuary for Jett and many of the kids there. All of their electronics are confiscated upon arrival and all food is healthy vegetarian fare, no candy or sugar allowed. Needless to say, Jett does not adjust very well. Thanks to the discovery of a strange lizard, Needles, Jett and the other kids bond over its care. Jett manages to actually establish some friendships as he rebels against the retreat’s philosophies and gets himself into trouble.

I flew through this book and I know my students will too. Kids will enjoy the multiple perspectives with chapters being told by different characters. They will also relate to the difficulties of being banned from their electronics. Students may also connect with how having a project or task with a team leads to empathy and understanding. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this one and get some feedback from kids.

5 Stars

Cleo Porter and the Body Electric Review

This one captured my attention immediately. Cleo lives about 50 years in the future from 2020 and there has been a terrible, deadly flu pandemic that has forced people to live in isolation only with their immediate family members--sounds familiar right? Cleo lives with her parents in an apartment in a large apartment building where all of their supplies are delivered via drone and they cannot leave--she has never been outside. All of her experiences outside of their apartment and interactions with friends are via a simulator and both of her parents work from their home. She is preparing for an exam to begin studying to be a surgeon like her mother.

When a package of important medicine arrives down their chute, Cleo becomes concerned. It seems to have been wrongly delivered and she is consumed about the patient not receiving their life-saving drugs. Her parents leave her to problem-solve and she opts to escape with the medicine via their chute in order to transport the medication. On her brave adventure, Cleo learns about the workings of the drones and the apartment building. She also makes it outside where she gets to feel grass and sunshine for the first time…

I really enjoyed this book! It got a little slow in the middle, but it picked up when Cleo made it out of the building and then had to figure out how to get back in. I think many of my 4th and 5th grade students will really enjoy this especially with the pandemic parallels to 2020--I am planning to begin the school year with it as my read aloud!

4 Stars

My Life in the Fish Tank Review

Zinny is a seventh grader whose life begins to fall apart when her brother Gabriel is in an accident at college. Gabriel is diagnosed bipolar and is sent to a residential treatment facility and the family struggles to keep it together. Zinny and her siblings are directed by their parents to not tell anyone about Gabriel’s hospitalization and struggles. Zinny’s friendships suffer because of secret keeping.

This story is so important for middle grade students because it deals with the stigma associated with mental illness and how difficult it is for families to cope. Our students need to be informed about these issues to gain empathy and understanding. I think Barbara Dee did an amazing job humanizing both Zinny and Gabriel and portraying their family’s predicament. I look forward to getting feedback from my students on this one.

4 Stars

The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez Review

This book was a pleasant surprise. I tend to enjoy mostly realistic fiction because that is what I grew up with. There are many realistic parts in this one, but there is also enough fantasy to attract my students who really prefer to stay away from stories based in the real world. Nestor is an army kid who has been all over the country as his father was sent from base to base. His mother and he move to a small town in Texas to join his Abuela while his father is deployed to Afghanistan.

Nestor does not even bother to unpack because he figures their stay New Haven will be short. He is rather jaded about moving around and developing friendships, after all he has had ten first days of school and he is only in the sixth grade. Despite his apprehension of making friends, he ends up becoming close with some classmates. There also are some mysterious happenings in the woods behind Abuela’s house and many pets from the town have gone missing. Most of the town is suspicious about Abuela’s involvement in the animal disappearances. Nestor also has a unique ability that he hides from everyone--he can talk to animals and they talk back! Without giving too much away, the animals and humans take on an evil witch.

This novel was fast paced and heartfelt. I have students that move often and have military parents, so they will be able to relate to Nestor and his life. Many of my kids will love the fantasy aspects of the story and who doesn’t love a battle with good versus evil? 

5 Stars

One Time Review

I was so excited to be able to review this ARC from Netgalley because Sharon Creech is one of my favorite middle grade authors. Unfortunately, this is probably my least favorite book I have ever read from her. It did not feel like the plot even developed until three quarters of the way through and even then there was not that much substance. Gina is an imaginative only child and when Antonio moves in next door and is in her same class you would think the story begins, but not much develops. When Antonio is not coming to school there is little information or plot development. My students will enjoy the short chapters, but other than that there is not much to appeal to them. I don’t even plan on buying this for my classroom; it was a miss.

2 Stars

Closer to Home Review

Cal is living with his aunt’s family because his mother died of cancer and his father is in and out of prison. This means being in the same classroom with his cousin, Hannah, and feeling as if he is intruding into their family. He also suffers from PTSD due to the time he lived with his father which means he sometimes has explosive outbursts.

Ellen Hopkins has written many young adult novels in verse as Close to Nowhere is. She is so talented at capturing her character’s voices and struggles. I am quite pleased that she has finally moved into the middle grade realm with this thoughtful story.

4 Stars

Sara and the Search for Normal Review

This is a prequel to OCDaniel--I have not read it, but I just ordered it because I have to know more about Sara and Daniel. I have been a teacher for many years and have dealt with students suffering from anxiety disorders, depression, trichotillomania, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and more. Wesley King explores several of these adversities through Sara’s perspective. The story is thoughtful and authentic as Sara tries to manage her thoughts and to achieve “normalcy.”

Unfortunately, there are not many middle grade books that deal with mental illness. I am so pleased to be able to share this book with my students. As a seventh grader, Sara attends public school, but is not mainstreamed due to her many issues. Most of the students refer to her as “Psycho Sara.” Sara wants nothing more than to be “normal.” She is medicated, attends weekly sessions with her psychiatrist, has supportive parents, and keeps a list of rules for being “normal.” She joins a weekly group therapy and makes a friend, Erin. Erin also suffers from anxiety disorders along with trichotillomania. While their friendship progresses, Sara gets to experience many life events including going to a birthday party, going to the movies with a friend, etc. Erin has a secret and Sara has to decide whether to risk their friendship by disclosing it and saving Erin…This book will resonate with many of my students and help them to understand and empathize with themselves and others.

5 Stars

Dress Coded Review

I am so impressed with this debut middle grade novel. To begin, this book is current and timely with strong female characters that protest the injustices of their middle school’s inequitable dress code. Firestone incorporates podcasts, short-titled sections/chapters, and bullet lists to tell Molly’s story--this format will appeal to many readers and gives the book a modern feel. 

Molly is terribly bothered by the fact the many students (mostly female) are openly embarrassed and disciplined in the hallway of their middle school by their principal and dean, “Fingertips.” She is named “Fingertips” because most of her time is spent in the hallways questioning the length of the shorts worn--her actual name is not disclosed until the very end. Molly interviews students that have suffered because they are “dress coded” to publicly explain the situation and the emotional turmoil that results. She posts the interviews online as podcasts and documents dress code infractions on Instagram. Her podcasts and Instagrams gain followers and encourage others to speak up.

This book is progressive with some controversial topics intertwined including: same-sex crushes, tampons, bullying by students and school administrators, racism, vaping, addiction, etc. Although these themes are mature, they are handled expertly and are not explored graphically. This book will definitely appeal to many of my fifth graders who are starting to develop their own cultural and societal views and are looking for inspiration and encouragement in how to express them.

5 Stars

Stink & the Hairy Scary Spider Book Review

I have always been a fan of the Stink book series--I actually prefer Judy Moody’s little brother over her! Although the Stink books are below most of my student’s reading levels, I always make sure to have some on my shelf because they are quick reads and can build some reading confidence for my reluctant readers.

Stink suffers from arachnophobia, the fear of spiders. However, when he discovers a wayward tarantula in his backyard, he gets help from Webster to overcome his fear and rescue the tarantula. I think my students will appreciate the spider facts that are included and the origami especially the included instructions on how to make a creature or two.

4 Stars

BenBee and the Teacher Griefer Review

BenBee and the Teacher Griefer

By K. A. Holt

There was far more substance to this book that the title and format implies. BenBee along with a small group of “divergent learners” are stuck in summer school preparing for the FRAAT (aka FART) state exam retake. They are all reluctant readers and dread reading aloud as well as the upcoming state exam retake. Each chapter is told from a different character’s point of view and they each have a variety of formats--prose, chat, paragraphs, cartoons, etc. I wish the character names had been more varied because even I struggled to keep the characters straight because of their similar names and this may frustrate some readers. This formatting will appeal to reluctant readers and may grab some graphic novel fans. 

Each character is struggling with parent pressure, learning disabilities, family deaths, etc. With the help of their understanding and amazing teacher, Mrs. J, they become friends and learn to appreciate their “divergent” needs. This will appeal to many of my students who see themselves as “different” and who enjoy quick, but meaningful reads.

4 Stars

The One an Only Bob Book Review

My students and I have been waiting for this one since it was announced last fall. I am a huge fan of The One and Only Ivan and I was curious where Bob’s story would go. Dogs are my favorite animals and I cheered as Bob and Ivan became such good friends in the first book, so I couldn’t wait to read more about them. It truly was like visiting some old friends which is something we all need right now!

Bob has settled into domestic life with Julia and her parents grudgingly. He visits Ivan and Ruby at their sanctuary often. With a hurricane approaching, Bob and Julia go with her father to check on the sanctuary and its inhabitants. A tornado strikes and Bob sets off on a dangerous expedition to find his long lost sister. There are perilous twists and turns throughout the story, but I was very pleased with the ending.

Successful sequels are hard to pull off especially with beloved characters like Bob, Ivan, and Ruby; but Katherine Applegate is an impeccable storyteller and pulled it off impressively. My students will love this action-packed, heart-warming tale.

5 Stars

Seven Clues to Home Book Review

This one is amazing, so emotional! It is told from two perspectives--Joy and Lukas. They have been best friends since the end of second grade and they are preparing for their thirteenth birthdays. They have a tradition where they create a scavenger hunt for each other’s birthdays. Joy is telling the story in the present, but Lukas is telling the story from the previous year as he is hiding clues for Joy’s hunt. In the present, Lukas is dead, but few details are disclosed about his death except that Joy is still struggling with her grief. 

I expect this one to be in the Newbery running for sure as it reminds me of a modern day Bridge to Terabithia. I enjoyed the story being told from both character’s point of view and the raw emotion they both struggled with. Kleenex is a must for reading this one.

5 Stars

My Life as a Coder Book Review

I have been a fan of this series since the beginning and even have a class set of the first one. This is number nine in the series and it does not disappoint. Derek is a reluctant reader and a struggling student. When his parents surprise him with a new laptop, but there is a catch--he has to take a coding class to learn how to program it. As Derek struggles with the coding class, he also gets help from his friends and helps them. Carly is struggling with some anxiety and possibly depression issues, but Derek involves her in some miniature horse therapy. Derek is also paired up in coding class with the mysterious female coding genius, Machiko. He loves that being her partner means less work for him, but their relationship is rather contentious.

This series is great for reluctant readers and is great to use with third graders making the transition from the Captain Underpants series and away from graphic supports like the Big Nate series. As a teacher, I really appreciate the vocabulary development that is included in all the books.

4 Stars

Music for Tigers Book Review

This was a beautifully written almost lyrical (musical) story. There are so many themes that will appeal to middle grade readers--Australia, conservation, extinct/endangered animals, friendship, music, neurodiversity, and more. This is actually my first summer reading book of 2020 and I can’t wait to have some students read it for feedback, but now I have to wait until the fall.

When Louisa arrives to stay with her Uncle Ruf in Tasmania at the family’s wilderness sanctuary, she is suffering anxiety because of her upcoming violin audition. As she learns more about the sanctuary’s purpose, she blends her musical talents into their mission. Her relationship with Colin leads her to understand neurodiversity and copes with her own issues. I really enjoyed the conservation and hopeful messages in this one. I will definitely be checking out other books by Kadarusman!

5 Stars

Hatch Book Review

Hatch is the exciting sequel to Bloom. In Bloom, the earth is overrun by alien plants that kill humans. Three teens, Anaya, Petra, and Seth, are discovered to be alien hybrids that are immune to the plants and their pollen.  Hatch begins with another rain, but this one deposits alien insect varieties. Meanwhile, the teens are taken to a secure bunker where there are other alien hybrid kids. At the bunker, they are being studied and experimented on by the evil Dr. Ritter. There are three types of hybrids- land, water, and air. Their bodies are changing and they are discovering their powers.

Without giving too much away, there is animosity between the hybrid types and a possibility that a civil war is going on between the aliens on their own planet. The hybrids join the fight against alien insects. I read an electronic ARC on NetGalley and the ending totally cuts off and leaves the reader hanging for the third book--I can’t wait for it!

5 Stars

Lost on the Titanic Book Review

This is the first book in a new series of kids time traveling to historic events. It was a quick read and I would classify it as an early chapter book. The characters and their dog were likeable, but I found the historical information about the Titanic very superficial and basic. I was hoping for something along the lines of the Time Warp Trio or the I Survived Series and I was disappointed.

2 Stars

Echo Mountain Book Review

This is a beautifully written story about Ellie and her family and their life on Echo Mountain. Due to the Great Depression, Ellie’s family relocates from town to the mountain to live off the land. This is not the life that her mother and older sister signed up for. Ellie and her father thrive on the mountain catching fish, hunting, gathering honey, building their cabin, growing their own vegetables, and adapting perfectly.

Unfortunately, their father is felled by a tree and is in a coma making their difficult life even harder. There is also blame and guilt for the accident. Ellie is determined to wake her father from his slumber and not with the lullabies and reading her mother and sister have been doing. As Ellie plots her interventions, she discovers a hag further up the mountain who is also injured and needs her help. Ellie is a natural healer and problem solver--a young woman unusual for the time.

Although I enjoyed the story, I can only think of a few students that this book will appeal to. It feels like it was more of an adult read. I look forward to getting some feedback from my students.

4 Stars

Never Say Die Alex Rider #11 Book Review

I have been an Alex Rider fan since the beginning. The series was so popular in my classroom in the early 2000s, I had students ordering the book from Amazon in the UK because they were out there before the US. I still have students reading the series and I had no idea that number eleven and twelve were out.

Never Say Die starts off with Alex in San Francisco mourning the death of his nanny/guardian, Jack. When he receives a cryptic, partial email, Alex is convinced that Jack is still alive. Of course he sets off on a mission to her. This mission is classic Alex--explosions, car chases, hand to hand combat, and mayhem. I devour these books and my students do too. I am looking forward to reading number twelve soon!

5 Stars

When I Hit the Road Book Review

This is a light and happy story told in letters by 12 year old Samantha. She and her mother go to Florida to check on her recently widowed Grandma who moved away to Florida. When Grandma picks them up from the airport in her new convertible Mustang, it is clear that Grandma is enjoying her new life. Samantha's mom, a type-A, control freak, wants to make Grandma move 8.5 minutes away from them in an Illinois condo. Grandma has friends and a senior citizen bucket list which includes a road trip to enter karaoke competitions. Sam's mom has to go home for a work crisis and leaves Sam behind to go on the road trip and keep an eye on Grandma.

The road trip includes Grandma's friend, Mimi, and her handsome, cool grandson. The road trip does NOT go smoothly, but the trials and tribulations bring them all closer and memories to last a lifetime. If you are looking for a delightful, uplifting read this is a great one! 

4 Stars

Beast Face-to-Face with the Florida Bigfoot Book Review

I devoured this one in an afternoon! When Adam is driving back from Disney World late one night with his parents, his dad swerves the car to avoid hitting a sasquatch/bigfoot/swamp ape. Adam wakes up and his parents have vanished and he is injured. No one believes him about the accident being to avoid a sasquatch and his parents cannot be located. Adam seeks answers which leads him into a survival/adventure that rivals any of the Brian stories from Gary Paulsen. I was pleased that Adam got his answers and found peace.

This book is going to appeal to my students that love intense action and adventure as well as the fans of the Roland Smith cryptid stories. Wyatt Key is a new author for me, but I will seek some of his other books for sure. Thanks for the awesome read!

5 Stars

Don't Check Out This Book- Book Review

I have been a big fan of Kate Klise for a long time. This book did not disappoint. The subject of book banning and freedom to read is very hot with my students right now, so I know this will appeal to many of them. One thing that I found slightly difficult was the format as a Kindle book was a little discombobulated because not everything matched up correctly and many illustrations seemed to be missing. I will definitely purchase a hard copy to add to my classroom library. I think my students will enjoy the pun names of all the characters and the ending is perfection. This book will also be a fairly easy sell to my reluctant readers because of the format and length.

4 Stars

The Invisible Boy Book Review

This was a unique read for sure--tackling a real world problem in a relatable story tweens will love. Nadia is determined to win a junior journalism award if she can just spend her summer finding a good story. She is borderline obsessed with Superman and spends lots of time in her neighborhood with her dog. When Wonder Dog falls into a storm drain and she slips in too trying to rescue the dog, a boy shows up and rescues them both. Then, he quickly disappears. Nadia aggressively pursues finding the Invisible Boy. He ends up rescuing her again and they develop a friendship. There is something strange about Eli’s/the Invisible Boy’s living situation and when Nadia figures it out. She does everything she can to help Eli escape.

This one surprised me because I thought it was going to be a light-hearted summer adventure. I was so wrong! It ended up delving into the problem of human trafficking and how it is hidden in plain sight throughout the world. I liked Nadia and Eli--they were likable and believable characters. I think this book will appeal to my students who have a strong desire to see justice prevail and those that love superheroes.

5 Stars