Goodreads

Time to move, again.  Although I've been blogging about books since 2008, I haven't reviewed every book I've read.  I feel like if I'm going to blog it should be worthy of someone reading it and then it just takes me too much time.  Therefore, I decided to move my reads and reviews over to Goodreads.  If I decide not to say anything about a book, I don't have to.  A simple star rating will do, although I'm finding that a quick, couple of sentence review is sufficient.  I feel it's less about describing the book, but rather why I liked/disliked it. Plus, the covers are already available so I'm saving time here as well.  Finally, I feel as if there is a wider audience available.  After all, why take the time to tell someone what I think if no one is listening?  And, as an added bonus I enjoy reading other reviews and comparing my opinions.

So, if you're interested, join me on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11069149-pat-salvatini.

If you'd still like to read my thoughts about library issues or perhaps gain an idea or two for your own classroom, I'll be blogging (occasionally) @ http://iheartbooks2.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for stopping by.

Jake

by Audrey Couloumbis

When Jake's widowed mom breaks her leg just before Christmas, suddenly a grandfather Jake barely knows arrives to help care for him.  Jake would be content staying with neighbor Mrs. Buttermark, but instead must develop a new relationship with both his paternal grandfather and Max, his grandfather's dog.  The story has very little plot, rather it floats along on Jake's personal insights about his relationships and the meaning of family, relying on Jake's character development to drive the story.

1 of 5 stars.  Recommended

The Chocolate Meltdown

by Lexi Connor

Beatrix ("B") is not like other witches who rhyme their magic.  B concentrates on what she wants and spells to create her magic.  In this fifth book of the series, B and best friend George must solve the mystery of what has ruined B's father's newest chocolate creation.  Connor creates a likable character that possesses a simple magic that every young reader fantasies about having (even George).  The short chapters make this book an easy and enjoyable read.

4 of 5 Stars.  Recommended.

How Tía Lola Came to (Visit) Stay

by Julia Alvarez

Miguel has moved from New York to rural Vermont because of his parent's divorce. He's worried about being different and trying to make new friends. He's confused when Tía Lola arrives to help, unsure if he should he be embarrassed or comforted by her lively personality and exotic style.  Will she be able to help get his parents back together with her special magic, help him make the baseball team, and what about their now purple house?  Alvarez creates a colorful character in Tía Lola and this is the first of many books featuring her character.  Teachers may find the available Educator's Guide helpful.

4 of 5 Stars.  Recommended.

 

Marty Frye, Private Eye

by Janet Tashjian

This beginning chapter book is broken up into three short chapters, each featuring a different crime for poetry loving rhyming detective Marty Frye to solve. There are plenty of black-and-white cartoon illustrations to interest young readers and build interest. Tashjian leaves her characters loosely developed, relying on the clever dialogue to carry the story. Unfortunately the rhyming feels forced at times and the final case is so transparent that the ending is rather disappointing.

1 of 5 stars.

Star of the Week

by Caroline Adderson

The first in a new series of transitional chapter books featuring Jasper John Dooley, a quirky and creative young boy. Jasper is finally Star of the Week although it does not run as smoothly as he had planned. From his less than interesting lint collection show-and-tell, to his dismal family tree, to his forgotten science experiment, Jasper worries that he will have to forfeit his "star" status before weeks end.  Add in his new quest to convince his parents that their small family needs an addition and it's clear that Jasper has a lot on his mind.  Adderson creates a wonderfully believable character in Jasper with easy to read text. The occasional black and white line drawings add additional depth.

4 of 5 stars. Recommended.

Freedom! : Miss Annie

by Frank Le Gall

In this first book of a new series, readers are introduced to a young black & white kitten, Miss Annie. Although Miss Annie gets into typical kitten mischief, she also befriends a mouse and ventures into the scary outdoors. The simple text and graphic novel format will appeal to young readers.

4 of 5 stars. Recommended.

The Great Cheese Conspiracy

by Jean Van Leeuwen

In this fifth book of a series, Merciless Marvin the Magnificent is tired of small time heists involving popcorn machines and candy bars and decides his gang of mice is ready for the "Big Time". Can they leave the relative safety of the movie theater and pull off a foolproof plan to rob a nearby cheese shop? Van Leeuwen creates a lighthearted caper of short chapters and easily read text. Unfortunately, most of the movie humor will be lost on the targeted audience.

2 of 5 Stars. Recommended.

The Ball Hogs

by Rich Wallace

In the spirit of Matt Christopher, Wallace introduces younger readers to a new soccer series. Nine-year-old Ben knows he's a good athlete and is excited about playing on his first soccer team. But new classmate Matt is not only creating problems at school, but he's also hogging the ball during practice and during their first game. Wallace creates a likable character with believable emotions in this quickly paced easy chapter book.

3 of 5 Stars.  Recommended.

Red Bird Sings

Adapted by Gina Capaldi & Q.L. Pearce

A picture book biography of Gertrude Simmons Bonnin who left her native lands in South Dakota at the young age of eight in order to attend boarding school in Indiana. Although she greatly missed her mother and the quiet traditional life she rejoiced in music class, becoming an accomplished music teacher, performer and composer. She also grew to despise inequality and spoke out for the rights of Native Americans, fighting for citizenship and fair treatment. The authors adapt Zitkala-Sa's own words to create this simple and beautifully illustrated biography. Teachers will find this a positive addition to their curriculum and will appreciate the Teacher Resource Book available from the book's website.

4 of 5 Stars - Recommended.

Sally's Bones

by MacKenzie Cadenhead

Middle schooler Sally Simplesmith goes about her day unnoticed, both at school and at home by her absent-minded workaholic father. To make life more challenging Sally greatly misses her recently deceased mother. Sally is ready to give up and melodramatically asks for death upon her mother's grave. Instead, Sally finds a much needed friend and companion in a tail-wagging pooch made from bones. Life begin changing for Sally, but her new found happiness is put to the test when her pet is accused of a recent crime spree. Cadenhead creates an interesting character in Sally and does a fine job addressing the issues of grief and loneliness.

3 of 5 stars - Recommended.

School of Fear

by Gitty Daneshvari

Four twelve-year old phobic children travel to a remote Massachusetts summer school run by a wacky ex-beauty queen headmistress in an attempt to overcome their fears of bugs, confined spaces, death and water. Forced to follow strange rules and learn pageant etiquette the four must band together and face their individual fears after tragedy strikes the school. Daneshvari creates mildly believable characters with a strange setting for a story line reminiscent of the craziness of Lemony Snicket.  Readers may enjoy visiting the School of Fear website.

3 of 5 stars - Recommended.

The Adventures of Commander Zack Proton and the Warlords of Nibblecheese

by Brian Anderson

Book two of a three book series featuring a less than able space commander and a more highly intelligent monkey. In this wacky plot a band of space mice kidnap a busload of second graders as part of a grander scheme to destroy the Earth's moon (which of course is made of cheese). Although not as well written as many other current books, it will still find an audience among reluctant boy readers due to its easy chapters, multitude of illustrations, and silly humor.

1 of 5 stars.

The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941

by Lauren Tarshis

Eleven-year-old Danny Crane was not at all happy that his Ma moved him from the streets of New York to Honolulu. She took a job as a nurse on a military base to keep Danny away from danger. Little did she know that they lived exactly where the first bombs of World War II would fall. Tarshis writes an easily read plot with a nicely developed character. Scott Dawson adds some beautiful black & white illustrations for visual appeal.  A good choice for an easy historical fiction read.

4 of 5 stars. Recommended.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

by Tom Angleberger

"Is Origami Yoda Real?" Is he just a paper puppet on the finger of super nerd Dwight or does he possess the force? Can he see into the future? That is exactly why sixth-grader Tommy asked everyone to share their Origami Yoda stories. He complied them into this case study, allowed non-believer Harvey to comment and then lent the whole file to Kellen who only added a bunch of doodles. Angleberger draws the reader into the plot by combining believable characters and a plot liberally peppered with spot-on middle school worry and humor, all wrapped up in short easy chapters with "hand-written" fonts on crinkly paper. Although there are many videos available on folding variations of Origami Yoda, readers may be interested in watching Angleberger's version.

5 of 5 stars. Highly Recommended.

Big Nate : In A Class By Himself

by Lincoln Peirce

"Today you will surpass all others." The best fortune Nate could ever receive, and Nate needed help. Dreading the upcoming test he hadn't studied for, Nate spends his day trying to discover the greatness of his fortune only to collect one detention pink slip after another. Peirce successfully combines the readability of short chapters, plenty of his classic black-and-white ink illustrations, and quirky humor to make Nate a likeable hero for many a reluctant reader.

5 of 5 stars. Highly Recommended.

Stir It Up!

by Ramin Ganeshram

When not busy working in the families restaurant, thirteen-year-old Anjali Krishnan dreams of becoming a celebrity chef. With the help of a cooking teacher her dreams are within reach. If she can lie to her parents, make it through the audition without compromising her religious beliefs, and not be intimidated by the other contestants. Ganeshram gives readers a much needed minority character but unfortunately the slow plot keeps the story from really taking off.

1 of 5 stars.

Erak's Ranson

by John Flanagan

Book 7 of the Ranger's Apprentice series actually goes back a little in time to before Will has completed his ranger studies. Readers are introduced to a new setting, Arridi. A desert country that poses new challenges for the rangers. Flanagan brings many familiar characters back to the story along with developing several new friends and foes. As with the earlier books in the series the pace of the story keeps readers engaged and his word choice allows for readers to develop a clear mental image of both characters and settings. I would have preferred to read this book prior to books 5-6 and would make that suggestion to others as it would help keep the suspense of the ending. Additional information about the series such as brief character descriptions and setting maps is available at the Ranger’s Apprentice Official Website.

5 of 5 stars. Highly Recommended.

Knucklehead

by Jon Scieszka

Laugh-out-loud autobiography of Scieszka's live growing up in a family of six boys. From Breaking furniture and collarbones to cooking oatmeal instead of scooping poop Scieszka keeps readers in a constant state of happy. The short chapters are easy to read and scattered with family photographs, memorabilia and topical graphics. There may be some concerns raised regarding the inclusion of Sciszka's exploits with explosives and "pee", but I would not exclude it from my library based on those reasons (and the intermediate boy readers will simply love reading it).

5 of 5 Stars. Highly Recommended.

Figgs & Phantoms

by Ellen Raskin

Mona Lisa Newton is a member of the Figg Newton family of Pineapple. An odd assortment of individuals with circus like talents all searching for their own slice of heaven, or as the Figg Newton's call it, Capri. Mona is an unhappy family member, wishing for less attention and more normal behavior. Raskin creates colorful characters but the plot is rather skittish and difficult to follow at times. The varied signs peppered throughout the book add humor but younger readers may not appreciate the intended puns.  This book would be more appropriate for young adult readers as opposed to intended intermediate audience.

1 of 5 Stars.