I'll Be There

I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Of course, some kids don't want to go to school-"It's boring, I don't learn anything." Blah, blah, blah...to that I say, Hah!



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Sam would love to attend school since he hasn't for well over ten years. His dad keeps them on the move, running from town to town, with Sam's younger brother, Riddle, riding along in the back seat of the beat up pick up truck. That is until Sam meets Emily and everything about his life changes. Riddle, who hardly talks, begins talking with Emily's mom while they cook dinner. Even cooking food is new to Sam and Riddle-they usually eat gas station food out of plastic wrappers. But what happens when their bi-polar dad finds out about Emily and Sam-yikes-it is a wild journey for Sam and Riddle to get back to Emily, her family and stability.

This book was very entertaining, not sappy, not funny, but thoughtful.

I've Lived A Thousand Years

I Have Lived A Thousand Years: Growing Up In The Holocaust by Livia Bitton-Jackson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What an amazing story.



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I don't know what it is about holocaust stories, I find them very compelling. I think it is that something so awful did and continues to happen and that somehow people actually survived. I think what gets me though these books is knowing that the author will survive.

Elli and her family live in Hungary and are swept off to concentration camps in April 1944. Elli is able to stay with her mother but they are separated from her brother, Bubi, and father. Days without food and water...somehow they survive.

Cinderella Cleaners Series

Prep Cool by Maya Gold

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What a fun book. Maddy loves these books because they are a fun and easy reads. Eighth grader Diana works at her father's dry cleaning business, Cinderella Cleaners, after school. Sometimes she gets herself into situations that cause her to borrow some of the clothes being cleaned to use as disguises. Diana gets into some sticky situations but somehow works her way out of them.
Great for reluctant tween readers-especially girls.



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Field Trip Mysteries

The Zombie Who Visited New Orleans by Steve Brezenoff

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Adam likes these books. It is a series of mysteries called Field Trip Mysteries. The series is about 4 students on field trips but a different character is the narrator of each book while leading the group through the steps of the mysteries. The books are short, less than 100 pages, the mysteries are challenging to solve and include colorful illustrations.

Great for reluctant 2nd-3rd grade readers.



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One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street

One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street by Joanne Rocklin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I liked this book and I think it would make a great read aloud for grades 2-5.

One morning on Orange Street an orange cone shows up on the street in front of an empty lot where the local kids meet and play everyday. The youngest child on the street is recovering from an illness and Ms. Snoops, across the street from the empty lot, forgets current happenings but remembers past events. All while two friends, Leandra and Ali are having a disagreement and Robert is trying to grab the attention of Ali. A mysterious stranger arrives and brings all of the events of the two days together in to a little perfect package.



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Between Shades of Gray

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Great Book! For anyone who reads holocaust stories this is very similar. Lina and her family have been shipped to Siberia after the Soviets invaded their country during WWII. The experiences of Lina and her family, based on the lives of survivors, are very similar to the experiences of Jews during the Holocaust. It has some of the same elements including determination to survive, death and overcoming adversity.

This book uncovers a part of WWII history that many were affected by.



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Igraine the Brave

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


We listened to this audio book during our Thanksgiving ride over the river and through the woods. The whole family loved it. This book had everything, knights, castle, magic, battles, dragons and moats. This book would be a great read aloud for a 3-5th grade class.

Basically,Igraine has to save her family and castle from the local bully, but her parents have turned themselves into pigs, now what? She goes on a journey to get the ingredients the parents need to turn back into humans again and save the castle at the same time.



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Jefferson's Sons

Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this book! I listened to the audio book which I would highly recommend. The reader was able to effectively read the conversations in the proper dialect without sounding all wrong. My kids only listened to maybe one CD while in the car with me but they were riveted. It upset Adam a little because some families were being separated when they were sold to different owners. Kimberly Brubaker Bradley did lots of research to get the facts right about the relationship between Jefferson and Hemings and filled in the unknown facts, conversations and home life, as best she could.

This would be a great book for classes studying The Underground Railroad or slavery or family relationships.



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Done with School

Today is Maddy's 12th birthday. During her birthday party yesterday I totally embarrassed her by doing my I'M DONE dance. Not pretty, but I was excited.

Now that I have so much free time coming up I reserved some books from the Best Books list from SLJ. Hopefully I can get some reviews done soon-with all of my free time. I'll take it!

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/articlereview/892887-451/best_adult_books_4_teens.html.csp#fiction

Happy Reading and happy Birthday to my Maddy Girl!!!!!