The Courage of Cat Campbell

I loved this sequel to The Power of Poppy Pendle, by Natasha Lowe.  You do not need to read Poppy first, although it may help you understand the characters a bit better.  In this story of Poppy's daughter, Cat, we meet a girl who loves magic and WANTS to be a witch, unlike her mother who hated it and wanted to be a baker.  Ultimately, the story is about the courage to do what you love and facing the fears that may come along with it.  (FIC LOW)

Stella by Starlight

Sharon Draper is the author of this big-kid fiction historical fiction story.  (FIC DRA) She also wrote on of my favorite recent works, Out of My Mind.  This one is set during the 1930's in the South.  Stella and her younger brother are out late one night and they witness a meeting of the KKK close to their home!  Blacks were hunted by the Ku Klux Klan, a racist group who wanted them to stay separate from the white community.  Stella's father stands up tall and goes to the polls to cast his vote in the presidential election.  Whites made it very difficult for blacks to do that at the time, in order to keep them where they were.  But he is brave.  If you enjoy learning about our nation's past while reading a great story, don't miss this one.

Lucky Strike

I loved this big-kid fiction story of an unlucky boy who was struck by lightning and suddenly became super lucky.  Unfortunately, he loved the new attention he was getting, even from kids who used to bully him.  He left his best friend behind.  Is popularity worth losing your best friend?  What really makes one lucky?  This is a lovely story about misfits and being true to who you are.  (FIC PYR)

The Island of Dr. Libris

Chris Grabenstein grabbed me as an author with his Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library, so I was excited to read this. Much like the first, you can tell the author is a book nut and wants his readers to be, too. In this story, a boy's imagination is captured by a mad scientist as he reads books. What he reads comes alive on the island off the shore of his new house.  His new friends are Robin Hood, Hercules, and Jack (or beanstalk fame). But the scientist wants to use the power of imagination to make money. Billy and his new friend have to slay a giant and defeat the sherriff of Nottingham. It is full of action and I think it will be popular.  I was a bit disappointed in this book.  I found it hollow and unsatisfying.

Half a Chance

Cynthia Lord is a very popular children's author.  Her stories touch the heart. This is no exception.  Set in New Hampshire (yea!), it is a wonderful story about a girl named Lucy who moves to a lakehouse with her family.  She meets the boy next door and they have a wonderful summer taking pictures, learning about loons, and entering a photography contest.  But Nate's grandmother's health is fading.  It is a touching, heartwarming story about living life, seeing the beauty in the world, and moving on.  (FIC LOR)

Jack Stalwart Peril at the Grand Prix

What 3rd-5th grader wouldn't like this series?  A 9-yr-old named Jack is a secret agent who gets a call from a globe in his room.  It spits out a puzzle piece which he fits into a magic map on his wall and he is sucked into the map and taken to that place to solve a crime.  This 8th book in the series is packed with action, suspense and special gadgets as Jack saves the day when a famous racecar driver's life is at risk.  (E HUN)

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

This was a nice story about a girl who rescues a cursed boy just in time to save the world from an evil ice queen.  I found it very reminscent of Lewis' The Lion,the  Witch and the Wardrobe.  Its pace and fantasy elements should be a hit with upper elementary students. (FIC FOX)

El Deafo

This is a graphic novel written by Cece Bell (GN BELL).  It is a memoir of the author's experience as a child struggling in school after she lost her hearing.  It was refreshing to read a story about a child with this handicap, but I thought the references to many things from the 70's will be lost on today's students.  Its message of tolerance, however, can never be heralded enough.

Absolutely Almost

Alfie has just been forced to leave his prep school because he struggles with his grades.  He becomes the victim of the class bullies in his 5th grade class who call him dummy.  His parents, although loving, have litle patience for his struggles.  Only his babysitter seems to get him.  I loved this character and his struggle to be comfortable with who he is both socially and academically.

Weird But True: Space Facts

Weird but True books are very popular with students.  The original series touches on all subjects but this new series allows the reader to concentrate on one topic.  This one about space has simple text and fun facts that will entertain all students.  (520 BRE)

Are Aliens Real?

In this series, we learn about all the baffling mysteries like UFOs, haunted houses, and Bigfoot.  This one about aliens touches on many urban myths and tries to explain them in a simple way.  These should be a hit.  (001.942 PER)

Missy's Super Duper Royal Deluxe Picture Day

 

This sweet early reader series is sure to be a hit with emerging readers.  This is the first in the series.  Missy has waited for picture day for so long and now it is here!  What fabulous outfit will this budding fashionista put together?  When her mother chooses for her, she is NOT happy.  The book has fun, whimsical drawings and a lot of dialogue bubbles that will draw kids in.

Echo

This is one of the best books I have read in a very long time.  I was swept up in the stories and could not step away from it.  I was spellbound.  Pam Muñoz Ryan wrote this amazing fantasy and historical fiction story.  It is broken into the stories of three young children set around the time of World War II.  Their lives are each touched by the same harmonica that will ultimately determine the fate of three sisters cursed by a witch.  Frederick lives in Germany as it is being taken over by Hitler.  Mike and his brother are orphans who live in Pennsylvania at about that same time, and Ivy lives in California just after the U.S. is drawn into the war.  Their three stories eventually merge beautifully.  A must-read!!!!  (FIC RYA)

One Came Home

Although this started with a bang, it took a while to hook me.  In this historical fiction mystery story, a young girl sets out to find out if the body delivered to her family is her beloved sister's.  I enjoyed it, but found the 19th century vocabulary very advanced.  I think it is a great addition to a middle school library.

Fish in a Tree

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”  One of my colleagues has this anonymous quote hanging in her classroom.  It is the core theme of this novel about a young girl with dyslexia who struggles in school.  She thinks she is dumb.  She believes the bullies and mean kids who make fun of her...until a new teacher comes along and shows her that she has limitations, yes.  But those can be overcome, and she has more gifts to give.  Linda Mullaly Hunt, author of One For the Murphys, wrote this terrific story of hope and kindness.  (FIC MAL)

The Fourteenth Goldfish

I loved this big-kid fiction story writte by Jennifer Holm (FIC HOL). Many students will recognize her from her graphic novel series, Babymouse.  This was sweet story about an eleven-yr-old girl named Ellie whose grandfather has discovered a cure for aging.  His new young body is great, but he can't get back into his lab to get the secret ingredient that allowed him to do it and will make him famous.  Ellie wants to help and is fascinated with the science her grandfather loves so much.  But, she soon starts to question whether or not one should invent breakthroughs that could alter the world so much and mess with the cycle of life.

The Crossover

This was this year's Newbery Medal winner (FIC ALE). It is written in verse style...like a poem.  The main character, Josh, raps and rhymes as he tells his story of his mad hoops skills and his beautiful dreadlocks that help him fly!  But when his twin gets a girlfriend, Josh is jealous and lonely and their relationship changes... as does his game after an incident on the court.  To make matters worse, his famous dad is ignoring health concerns.  How can a kid concentrate on his game?  

Best Friend Battle

This is a short book by Lindsay Eyre (FIC EYR).  It could be in the early reader section as it has a 3rd grade reading level, but it is a little longer than those.  The main character, Sylvie, is very jealous of her best friend's new friend.  She makes some choices that she soon regrets and gets herself into a very sticky situation as a result of her lies.  The story and characters were believable and likable.  It was a sweet story.

Amelia Bedelia Means Business

I was pleased to see Scholastic offer this new, chapter book version of Amelia Bedelia.  The original, lower-level readers have Amelia as an adult, and her literal translation of everything makes for a funny book, but one that I always thought was above the heads of its emerging readers.  Now, with this chapter book series, the older students, who can get the plays on words and humor, can appreciate the character more.  In this first of the series, Amelia is now a young girl who falls in love with a new bike, and does what is necessary to get it.  And you can bet there is a lot of misunderstandings and silliness along the way!

Disaster Strikes: Tornado Alley

This is a great new series for my Early Chapter Book shelves (E KEN). Following the same formula as I Survived, these action-packed stories are sure to be a hit, even with a child who thinks he/she does not like to read.  Written at a 3-4 grade reading level, they are a quick, exciting story that will leave them wanting more.
This one is set on an Oklahoma ranch.  A cousin visiting from New York City gets a vacation she never dreamed of, but she surprises her country cousin with her quick thinking during the emergency, and makes him think twice about judging her.

I Survived: The Great Chicago Fire, 1871

This very popular series by Lauren Tarshis continues to expand and students keep rushing to read these historical fiction novels (FIC TAR).  This is the eleventh in the series and deals with the Great Chicago Fire.  It is a great, page-turning action story that I could not put down.  These are perfect for older students who think they don't like to read.  They are not too long, very exciting, and are written at a 4th grade reading level.  I loved the pages at the end in which the author talks about the historical event that inspired the book.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid. the Long Haul

In the latest installment of Jeff Kinney's super-popular series, Greg and his family take a road trip.  As expected, nothing goes right.  One disaster follows the next.  Would you expect anything less?  (FIC KIN)

Smile

In this graphic novel, 7th grader Raina has to get braces.  But some complications with her teeth make it an arduous process.  As if that weren't bad enough, her friends tease her constantly.  The book spans three years of her life in which her smile, and her attitude, change.  I liked the story but thought it made the process of getting braces seem terrifying.  Also, the book was full of references to boys and some puberty issues.  It is a solid middle-school read, but not for the general K-5 population.

Rain Reign

Anne Martin is the author of this big-kid fiction story about a fifth-grade, high-functioning autistic girl named Rose.  Rose loves rules, homonyms and prime numbers. When a storm hits her town, her dog gets lost.  When the dog is found, it requires an act of bravery on Rose's part to follow the rules and do the right thing.  This is a beautiful story of a girl who may act differently than most, but whose world is guided by rules of right and wrong.  And although her relationship with her dad was sad, it was very understandable and, in the end, he did the right thing, too.