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