Firefly Hollow by Alison McGee

• Genre: Animal Story/Fantasy
• Grade Level: 3rd - 5th 
• Reading Level: 4.7
• Length: 304 pages (6 hours)
• Publisher: Atheneum (August 18, 2015)
• My Rating: 3 out of 4
• Division: 1

This book has such a winsome and attractive cover as well as illustrations inside. It reminded me of the book Apple Blossom the Possum.  It is a sweet story about some animals who get involved with people. In this case, firefly, cricket and vole  all have dreams. Firefly dreams of flying to the moon and outer space captivates her. She goes past the boundaries of the firefly tree and meets the cricket who sings "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" every night. His dream is to be able to catch a baseball. The vole wants to set sail on the river again. 

Both Firefly and Cricket leave their nations (homes) and  meet a boy named Peter (young giant as they call him) who is lonely without his best friend Charlie. Peter helps them with in making their dreams come true. Vole takes the Cricket and Firefly into his home at night since they have left their homes. 

Firefly's beloved elder dies. Peter has lost his friend, perhaps in death? It isn't exactly clear. And cricket has a cricket friend who was wounded and lamed by a falling lollipop stick. He believes if they learned to catch it would help them.  They are all very afraid of the "giants' because one false step and they can be hurt.  Lots of realistic life angst to discuss. 

This book is a book appropriate for reading to younger elementary children. Or, if younger students are strong readers, this may be a good chapter book suggestion for them. I did get a little bored with the story. It didn't hold my interest like Apple Blossom did. However, it is a good story and so I give it a 3 out of 4 rating. I kept thinking that I would love to see this book animated with the illustrations from the book. 

Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head by Lauren Oliver & H. C. Chester

• Genre: Mystery/Fantasy
• Grade Level: 4th - 6th 
• Reading Level: 5.2
• Length: 384 pages (10 hours)
• Publisher: Harper Collins (September 29, 2015)
• My Rating: 3 out of 4
• Division: 2

The Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head is a first book in a series of orphan/mystery stories. The setting is in the early 1900's in New York City in a curiosity and wonders museum.  There are all kinds of unusual things to look at as well as a performance show with lots of entertainment. There are four orphan children who live at the home who also perform: a strong boy, a girl who can see what is in pockets, a boy who can bend his body like a contortionist, and a girl who can throw knives.  A fat lady, a dwarf, a magician, and a few others round out the show.  

One day a new shrunken head is unveiled at a show.  A woman faints when she sees it and later dies at the hospital. The newspaper reporter writes a dramatic article about this cursed head and business flourishes.  But then the head is stolen and murders start to happen until the mystery is solved by the four orphan characters. 

This book is like a combination of  A Series of Unfortunate Events and Sherlock Holmes mysteries. I was surprised that there was so much murder and mayhem in a grade 4th - 6th grade book.  I wasn't sure I wanted to finish this one since I had a stack to read that seemed more appealing.  (That is always a bad sign!) However, it turned out that it was worth finishing and I did enjoy it. It doesn't make me want to read the next book though.  Perhaps the characters were not developed in a way that made me pull for them.  There were quite a few of them and I did need to sort them out from time to time.  The illustrations were good.  I wish they went along with the story line better. Some of them seemed to be randomly placed in the book. It was a good read but not my favorite. 

Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar

Genre: Realistic-Fantasy (Mystical Realism)

Grade Level: 4th - 6th 

Reading Level: 4.9

Length: 368 pages (9 hours)

Publisher: Candlewick (March 8, 2016)

My Rating: 3 out of 4

Division: 1 or crossover

Carol is twelve years old and is moving into her grandfather's ranch home along with her father, mother, sister and baby brother. The setting is in the middle of a New Mexico desert on a sheep farm. The grandfather  has beginning dementia and the family is getting his ranch ready for sale and planning on moving him into a home for seniors with this condition. The grandfather's relationship with his son is estranged and so Carol doesn't know Grandpa Serge very well.

 As the summer continues, Carol gets to listen to her Grandfather's stories about a tree that used to live in their village by a lake and how it gave the gift of immortality.  He tells this story as though it has happened to him. The realistic story starts to collide with this mystical story and you are drawn into a story of fantasy and magic about a beautiful tree that once was a tree of everlasting life for all who lived near it. Of course you also wonder if his dementia has just progressed and the stories are just creations.

I like mystical realism but this book was a tough one for me. I was too vested in the realistic portion of the story to let the mystical/fantastic part be possible.  I think I would have liked this story better without having the magic. I loved the family story and dealing with dementia in and older person. I think it was a good book but not my favorite.

Wish by Barbara O'Connor

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: 4th - 6th 

Reading Level: 5.0

Length: 227 pages (6 hours)

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux (August 30, 2016)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Division: 1

Eleven year old Charlie Reese has to move in with an Aunt and Uncle she doesn't know and live in the Blue Ridge Mountains with the "hillbillies". It is because her mother is unable to get out of bed and her father is in jail...again. Despite her reservations, Aunt Bertha and Uncle Gus are wonderful and loving and exactly what she needs. 

Charlie has been collecting ways for wishing and she wishes at least once if not many times a day.  One thing she wishes for is the stray dog that she finds at her Aunt and Uncle's home. Other wishes are left to our imagination until the end of the book.  Charlie becomes friends with an unlikely friend from school. Howard and Charlie's relationship is delightful. He may not be the average kid but he is a perfect buddy for Charlie. 

Overall, this book was a southern, quirky character story about people who love life despite difficulties.I enjoyed it a great deal.  It is easy to read and a wonderful book for grades 3-6. 

Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Multicultural (India)

Grade Level: 3rd - 6th 

Reading Level: 4.8

Length: 216 pages (5 hours)

Publisher: Scholastic  Books  (May 10, 2016)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Division: 1

Authors Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan team up to deliver a delightful addition to the school story genre for upper elementary kids.  Ravi has moved from India with his family and has to learn to fit into an American school. Joe is a kid whose best friend has moved and he feels out of sorts. Neither of them realize that they have more in common than they realize. The bully of the class, Dillon,  is an Indian but American born. Ravi assumes they will become friends but ends up being harrassed by him. 

The story is told in five days by each character's point of view.  The chapters are named after the lunch of the day. Food plays some part in this story as the main characters eat entirely different things and it is described.  I did look up some of the foods mentioned as well as Indian descriptions for my own background knowledge. If I was reading this to a class, I would do the same. 

This is such a great addition to the school story genre because it helps kids see how difficult learning a new culture can be.  It is funny and totally readable for most kids grades 3 -6.  

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery  - 2017 Newbery Honor

Grade Level: 5th and up

Reading Level: 4.9

Length: 304 pages (9 hours)

Publisher: Dutton Books  (May 3, 2016)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Division: 2  (5th grade and up) 

Another beautiful cover! Perhaps as appealing  for an elementary student, but I am drawn to calligraphy and the new writing fonts. I took this book home this past weekend because it was getting such good reviews as the potential winner of the Newbery Award. Well, it did win this morning...it is an Honor book. I loved it as well. I would have voted it as the winner!

This is a story set in rural  Pennsylvania during World War II.  A new student comes to the one room school where 12 year old Annabelle goes to school. The new student is named Betty and she is a mean bully who torments Annabelle and her younger brothers as well as others in the school. You are also introduced to a reclusive World War I veteran who roams the countryside, lives in an old shack, and makes little contact with people. Annabelle's mother gives Toby food and clothing and is kind to him, but they know little about him.

Eventually, the pranks that Betty the bully comes up with prove disastrous and violent. Of course, no one believes that Betty is responsible. Toby ends up being the scapegoat for the community as they hunt for perpetrator of the crimes that have happened to and hurt children.

Annebelle is such a feisty, smart, and lovable character. You will love her bravery, compassion, and problem solving. She is a changing the world at her young age and seeing to it that the justice served is correct. This book reads like a mystery as well, and there are clues and red herrings that are encountered along the way. Even though you have a pretty good idea who might be guilty, you see how others can look just as guilty in the mind of someone with a biased opinion.

I recommend this book highly. It is one of my favorites!  

Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade Level: 4th - 6th 

Reading Level: 4.8

Length: 208 pages (5 hours)

Publisher: Atheneum   (June 28, 2016)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

This is a story of four different middle school students and their lives before, during, and one year after the historic September 11 terrorism attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the crash of the hijacked plane in Pennsylvania.  The characters are a boy who lives in New York, a boy who lives in Pennsylvania, a Muslim girl who lives in Ohio and another girl who has just moved to California.  The novel lets us get to know them in just a few days before September 11th.  You also experience how they found out about the tragedy on that day and then what happened a year later at the Memorial ceremony in New York City.  You will see how their stories interconnect. A reminder of how all of us are connected and how much we need to care for each other.

This is a very easy to read book and would be a great read aloud for older elementary students who are interested in September 11th events.  It does not get graphic or detailed about the tragedy but no doubt will raise lots of questions.  

House Arrest by K. A. Holt

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Free Verse

Grade Level: 6th - 10th

Reading Level: 4.0

Length: 312 pages (4 hours)

Publisher: Chronicle Books  (August 9, 2016)

My Rating: 4 out of 4
Division: 2

Timothy is facing house arrest and weekly visits by a probation officer and a counselor along with the task of writing in a journal for one year.  He stole a wallet in order to get money to pay for drugs that his baby brother needed.  It was just a few days later that he was caught. Timothy describes the difficulties he and his mother face as they try to take care of a baby who is not able to breathe and has a trach tube in his neck. The father has left, nursing help is difficult, and money is extremely tight. The diary chronicles in free verse what Timothy experiences in coping with a tough life. People come to their side and help and yet you realize that many days are very difficult and exhausting. Timothy doesn't always react with the best decisions but his love for his brother and mother trump everything in his eyes.

This book is for middle school but there isn't anything in it that would not be appropriate for a mature 5th grade student to read.  It reminded me a little of the book Counting by 7's where you saw the growth of the characters who were assisting someone in crisis.  The author's own baby had the same difficulties breathing and although not a autobiography, this book is close to some of her own experiences.

This is a great and quick read that would bring good discussions.

Casey KC by Chris Kreie

Genre: Sports Fiction

Grade Level:  3rd - 6th

Reading Level: NA

Length: 290 Pages

Publisher: Chris Kreie (December 6, 2015)

My Rating: 3 out of 4
Division: 1

Casey is a 12 year old little league baseball player in Kansas City who can see the subtle difference in how pitchers pitch different balls. Because of this, he is able to know when not to swing and has never struck out. Usually he ends up hitting foul balls or walking.  The Kansas City Royals baseball team hears of his unique talent and actually ends up hiring him as a professional player for their team.  He begins to help them climb from bottom to winning baseball games.  It comes with negative press and angry players and fans who believe that Casey is ruining the game.

This book is pure baseball talk and so those kids who adore the game and speak the language should love this book.  Thank goodness I know a little bit because I may have really been lost. I did have to ask friends about baseball rules while I was reading to fully comprehend what was going on.  You also have to believe that this kid could actually be in a professional team, complete with traveling with the team and rooming with one of the adult players. I don't really think that would really happen in real life. Someone would have to be a chaperone at the very least!

The book moved along nicely and had a satisfying conclusion. I would recommend it to any baseball fan at school.

Fires of Invention by J. Scott Savage

Genre:  Steampunk (Science Fiction/Fantasy)

Grade Level:  4th - 8th

Reading Level: 5.0

Length: 288 pages - 13 hours

Publisher: Shadow Mountain (2015)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

This is my first "Steampunk" book.  I wasn't sure what to expect but basically it is Science Fiction and Fantasy. The setting is in the future and an entire population is living in a mountain. They use coal and steam for their energy source.  They are not allowed to invent anything because they feel the advancement of society is what caused them to have to flee from a poisoned world and live in this protected environment they created.  They are not allowed to be creative or write, draw, or create new music.

Trenton, the main character loves mechanical things and engineering. He is taken into custody in the first chapter for an invention that he created that seemed to shut down part of the city. It turns out it wasn't his doing but he was called in to help fix the problem.  He begins to investigate the mystery behind the shut down.  As he explores, he meets a girl named Kallista who knows the something about the mystery and he begins to work on the problem with her. They begin to build a mechanical dragon from clues left by Kallista's missing father. This project takes them deeper into the mystery of Cove.

This is a great story!  I am going to order this for my elementary students. It is not too scary or difficult but is a good introduction to steampunk.  I discovered an excellent book trailer that makes me wish for a movie.  

Charlie Bumpers Vs. The Teacher of the Year by Bill Harley

Genre:  Realistic School Story - Humor  

Grade Level:  2nd - 5th 

Reading Level: 3.5

Length: 169 pages - 3 hours

Publisher: Peachtree (2014)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Charlie Bumpers is entering 4th grade and discovers that he is getting the strictest teacher who also was Teacher of the Year. He isn't so sure she likes him since a shoe throwing incident from the past year. Charlie gets into all kinds of scrapes and problems but overall is a decent friendly boy.  The book is just a fun school story that I think many kids will like.  (It reminded me of a Calvin Coconut book minus the Hawaiian setting.) It has some great illustrations sprinkled throughout the book. This book is the first in a series of books and I look forward to ordering this series for my elementary students.  I think they will like it.  

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Genre:  Fantasy  

Grade Level:  4th - 6th (5-8?)

Reading Level: 4.8

Length: 400 pages - 12 hours

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers (August 9, 2016)

My Rating: 3 out of 4

This book has such a beautiful cove! Always an important part of a new book.  The story line is a very intriguing idea.  Every year, on a certain day, the town of Protecterate leaves the youngest baby in the woods for the evil witch to take.  The leaders of the town have convinced the people that this is the only way that the witch will be satisfied and will not bother them. They are also very fearful of the forests around them and never leave their town.  The town is full of very sad people and a cloud hangs over the village. 

Now, on this day every year,  a witch does come and take the baby because she has discovered this village practice and takes the babies to save them from wild animals.  She is a very good woman and takes the children to cities where the children are loved and valued. They drink starlight in the journey and are considered priceless babies.

One day she finds the annual infant and while traveling with the baby, the baby accidentally drinks from the moon. This baby becomes enmajiked and so the witch has to keep her as her own child.  Meanwhile, a boy who has seen how devastating the practice of leaving babies for this witch has become, grows up to discover his own child will be the next sacrificial baby.  He sets out to kill the witch. 

The book is complex and not quite as simple of a plot as I have summarized.  Although beautifully written, I found I could not read this quickly. It felt like I was reading calligraphy text vs. a regular font, metaphorically speaking.  I happened to have it on my audible account and sometimes I actually read along with the narrator.   She was fabulous and her acting abilities were excellent in her narration.

I would probably say this book is more 5th-8th grade and even though the reading level is 4.8.  The writing style and plot is more complicated than most 4th grade novels. I was guessing more of a 7th - 8th grade reader level as I was reading the book.  That being said, fantasy is not my favorite genre and so perhaps my connection with a fantastic storyline is not as strong as those who read lots of fantasy.

This book has been proclaimed a Newbery contender for 2018. It wouldn't be a surprise because it is beautifully crafted.  I also appreciate that Kelly Barnhill is from Minnesota.

Star Of The North 2018 Favorites so far....

This is my list of Star of the North Books for 2018 that I like so far....

Check out my Google Link:  Star of the North Favorites So Far for 2017-18 vote

The Firefly Code by Megan Frazer Blakemore

Genre:  Science Fiction - Dystopian Life 

Grade Level:  4th - 6th

Reading Level: 4.6

Length: 352 pages - 11 hours

Publisher: Bloomsbury,  May 3, 2016

Rating: 3 out of 4

Five kids who live in Firefly Lane in the town of Old Harmonie meet a new girl on their street and her name is Illana.  She is perfect in appearance and ability. In this utopian town it is normal to try and achieve perfection. At the age of 13 you are allowed to enhance your natural abilities in order to make yourself a super successful resident of society. You are also allowed 30% other enhancements in your body. Mori, the main character has a connection to the woman who helped start the community. She is her great grandmother. Her old farm  house is still standing and yet no one is allowed to go there. Mori sneaks in with her friends and discovers the journals and experiments that were done before Old Harmonie town was created.  She discovers that Illana may not really be "natural" after all. Could science create a super person who could co-exist in this world as a natural person?


I thought the book was a great story for the upper elementary audience for a dystopian novel without getting too dark.  At the same time, the ending fizzled out for me.  It ended rather abruptly. Made me wonder if another book is in the works.  I think you were supposed to care a great deal for the Illana character and yet I didn't find this to be true for me. So close to a great story!  I give it a three out of four.

Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban

• Genre:  Historical Fiction - WW II - Japanese Internment Camp
• Grade Level:  4th - 7th
• Reading Level: 3.8
• Length: 192 pages - 4 hours
• Publisher: January 5, 2016
• Rating: 4 out of 4

World War II has started and Japanese Americans who lived on the West coast were gathered up and sent to internment camps to live in guarded and crowded  conditions. Manami's family leaves Bainbridge Island, Washington and end up in the desert of Manzanar, California. Manami learns that her loved dog cannot come along and so she hides him into her coat. Unfortunately, she can't keep him hidden and she is forbidden from taking him and he is left behind. Manami loses her voice from the trauma and is unable to speak. She misses her dog and decides that if she sends messages through drawings to her dog and sends them to the wind that perhaps her dog will come back to her.

 This story gives a picture of the life lived by the Japanese as they face the unfair conditions of separation from the rest of the U.S. just because of their race.  A simple and moving story of a family as they make the best of a terrible ordeal.

I visited Manzanar this summer. I was only able to visit this National Historical Site for an hour but it was a memorable visit. As I was leaving, a Japanese woman was talking to the park ranger about her experiences as she actually was a Japanese American living in Manzanar. It brought home how this part of history isn't really that long past. I highly recommend visiting this National Historic Site and reading this book.  This book has been listed as a possible contender for the Newbery Award for 2017.  I would approve of this choice.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker

Pax is a fox who was adopted by a boy named Peter when the fox was an orphaned kit. Peter was dealing with the grief and loss of his mother and Pax helped with the healing process. Peter has to leave Pax behind when his father goes to war. His father has him leave Pax in the woods.  Peter goes to his grandfather's home.  However, Peter realizes he has made a terrible mistake and runs away and back to the woods which is hundreds of miles away.  He injures himself and a woman takes him in. She is also dealing with her own trauma from a war she fought in years before.  She helps Peter to get well enough to send him on his journey.  Meanwhile Pax has to learn to live in nature and support himself. War has also come to the woods that Pax is struggling for survival in and he has to figure out how to fend for himself and find a trusting family of his own.

This book has lots of depth and is probably aimed more for the upper elementary and  middle school student even though the illustrated cover looks more elementary. There is some violence included. One of the issues in the book is how war effects people and animals. The book is told through the point of view of Peter and Pax in alternating chapters which keeps you moving throughout the book.  It is a wonderful book that kept me reading and thinking.  I think it would be a great read aloud.  I read this book because it has been a Newbery contender for 2017. I agree that it may be a good choice for Newbery!

The AR reading level is 5.3 and is 8 points. School Library Journal lists the book for grades 4-7.

Here is the book trailer: Pax Book Trailer

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Grade Level: 3 - 7
• Lexile Measure: 760 
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Balzer + Bray (February 2, 2016)

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

A ship carrying robots has shipwrecked and five boxes with robots in them have landed on a "deserted" island. Four of the robots are destroyed in the crash against the rocks and are useless but one robot is intact.  A few otters come and check out the wreckage and accidentally turn on the button of the robot who survived.  She comes to life and as a programmed robot begins to access her situation and wanders around the island.  She encounters danger and begins to figure out how to adapt to her surroundings in nature.  She even learns how to create a community with the animals and fosters a young goose.  But her past comes back to her when the creators of the robots send advanced robots unto the island to bring her back.  Is the robot considered a robot any longer or has she progressed to a creature with personality and choice?  These are some questions to think about!

Peter Brown created some wonderful illustrations for this book. His experience as a popular picture book creator has been included in this middle grade novel.  I always enjoy when a middle grade book adds some pictures throughout the novel.  The book is science fiction but it is easy to forget because so much of the book includes nature and animal experiences on the island. The writing is wonderful and the story is excellent. This is a can't put it down book for me! I am reading this from a list of Newbery contenders for 2017. So far, this is my favorite and may just end up with the prize or maybe the Caldecott?  After last years Newbery winner, it wouldn't surprise me!

School Library Journal lists the grade level from 3-7th grade. I would agree. The AR reading level is 5.1 and it is 5 pts. (Takes between 5 and 10 hours to read) It is a good book to choose for elementary libraries.  I will be putting it as a recommendation for the MHL list in hardcover.

Interview with Peter Brown

• Age Range: 8 - 11 years
• Grade Level: 3 - 7
• Lexile Measure: 740
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 5, 2016)

ITEM Conference 2016

I was delighted to find out last spring that I was awarded a scholarship to go to the ITEM Conference this fall.  ITEM is the professional organization for Information and Technology Educators of Minnesota.   The following link is a summary of some of the sessions and keynotes that I experienced.  I was encouraged in my profession, motivated to try something new, and found lots of professional support and innovative ideas. I encourage all media and technology teachers to put this on your calendar to attend next year.

Here is a link to my Google Slides that reports on my experience at the conference.

ITEM Conference 2016 Summary by Diane Yliniemi

Reading The Secret Chicken Society to 3rd Grade Classes

Each year I choose a Maud Hart Lovelace book that is short enough to read to the 3rd graders. Even though the book might also be one they can read independently, I find that there are so many enhancements to the read aloud....vocabulary, background knowledge, projects, etc.  

So this year I started keeping track of the first reading on chart paper, Then I found some great you tube videos and graphics and I had to find a new way to save our progress.  So check out our padlet!

We are reading chapter 3 and 4 this cycle.  There are twelve chapters in the book. 

I plan to introduce a chicken project where we collect spare change for a flock or more of chickens for Heifer International.  

Secret Chicken Society Padlet

The Cat Who Came In off the Roof by Annie Schmidt

I went the Information and Technology Educator's of Minnesota (ITEM) last weekend.  One of my favorite things is to hear book-talks of the best books for the year. Mackin publishing did a fabulous job. At the end of the presentation, everyone got to take one of the books.  Like candy in my profession! So the book I took home was The Cat Who Came in off the Roof. It is written by a Dutch author who died in 1995.  This book is one of the classic titles in Dutch children's literature.  It was a delightful read.  It isn't eligible for a Maud Hart Lovelace title because the author isn't from North America.  I think being deceased would also be a reason.

I loved this story. I reminded me of my childhood favorite 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. Yes, it was an actual chapter book and not just a picture book of a Disney movie.  The cover illustration also reminds me of 101 Dalmatian movie. It starts with a women who is helped down from a tree by a shy reporter. The woman was in the tree because she was scared of a dog.  You soon find out that the woman is really a cat who turned into a woman after eating something in the garbage at a chemical plant. She ends of living as "secretary" for the reporter. The poor reporter has been ordered to start writing other news stories instead of the cat ones he seems to come up with. Minou (the woman/cat) goes around to all her cat friends and sources stories for the reporter to help save his job.  There is also a mystery and a town villain character that needs to be revealed.

What a fun read. School Library Journal recommends it for grades 3-6. The reading level is 3.9.  I give this book a thumbs up for both boy and girl elementary students.  It is also an appropriate read aloud to a class.

 

• Age Range: 10 and up 
• Grade Level: 5 and up
• Lexile Measure: 0500 
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (January 19, 2016)

Lost In The Sun by Lisa Graff

I was determined to finish this book and not abandon it. It was a slow going book for me.  I just couldn't connect to the characters or the story. It is a middle school angst story about a boy named Trent. He accidently hit a boy with a hockey puck on a lake and the boy died. He had a heart defect no one knew about. But Trent, of course, feels a lot of blame and shame. He feels like the world is against him. And it seems to be.  His family has issues. His father and mother are divorced and he has to visit his father and his new wife along with his other siblings. The visits are not the most pleasant. Trent struggles to find a place in middle school and has a lot of anger building up. The title Lost in the Sun comes from baseball: when a fly ball gets lost in the sun, you have to remember to shift your position to find it. Trent has a lot of changing and shifting to work on.

Not a favorite of mine.  However, many reviewers have loved it. You may have to read it and find out if this is your kind of book. 

It is a Divison II book. There are some swear words in the book. It is for both boy and girl middle school students.  It is a 4.5 reading level.  I give it a 2 out of 4.

Print Length: 296 pages

Publisher: Philomel Books; Dgs Rep edition (May 26, 2015)

Publication Date: May 26, 2015

Sold by: Penguin Group

Big Bad Detective Agency by Bruce Hale

The Big Bad Wolf is accused of vandalizing The Three Little Pig's home.  He claims innocence and so the police asks him to figure out who really was the criminal or else go to jail.  A fourth little pig named Ferkel hooks up with the wolf to help him solve the crimes.  The twosome go throughout Fairylandia and question possible suspects like Hansel and Gretel or Goldilocks. Each fairy-tale character is over the top in personality and are definitely not how they were in their original story. Their characters are very questionable!  As a good detective team, they do figure out who did the crime and decide that perhaps they should open up a detective agency and continue investigations. Perhaps a set up for future books? 

The tone is of this book is humor, slapstick, and more like a detective show.  Some of the vocabulary may be difficult and the humor is more on the dark side.  I am sure many kids will laugh out loud. I personally hoped it to be more on the positive side and so it isn't my favorite read.  I like my mysteries more cozy.  I give this book a 3 out of 4. It is good for the 3rd grade readers in division 1 of Maud Hart Lovelace.  The reading level is 3.9 (vocabulary), the book is short with 120 pages that includes plenty of drawings.  

• Age Range: 7 - 10 years
• Grade Level: 2 - 5
• Lexile Measure: 570 (What's this?)
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (January 27, 2015)

Nuts to You by Lynne Rae Perkins

I thought I would just love Nuts to You as much as I loved Apple Blossom the Possum. They have so many similarities.  However, this book just didn't tug at my heart like the possum family.  Nuts to You is the story of a squirrel who gets picked up by a hawk but manages to escape in the air but falls far from the tree home.  A couple of squirrels watched where he landed and take off to find him. They discover that the electrical company is cutting down trees under the electrical poles and lines and it is destroying the homes of animals as well. They have to figure out how to warn the animals and save themselves as well.

I think the pictures in this book are adorable!  Lynn Rae Perkins must have created them as well since no other person is listed. I might have liked this book better on Audible.  There was some cute dialogue and snappy conversations that seemed perfect for listening.  This might be fun as a read aloud!   There is a message of tree conservation in this book - in the last few pages it really sent home to the reader what the theme of the book is about.  I also have to say that sometimes the squirrels were really "squirrelly" (silly, random, hyper!).  I rate this book a 2.5.  It would be good for division 1 and both boys and girls.  The reading level is 4.2.

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Grade Level: 3 - 7
• Lexile Measure: 560 
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; Reprint edition (May 3, 2016)

Ellie's Story: A Dog's Purpose Novel by W. Bruce Cameron

Ellie's Story is a terrific realistic story about a search and rescue dog from the dog's point of view. Ellie is picked out of a litter of puppies after a trainer plays with the pups and determines that the little pup may have the right intelligence and temperament for the purpose of working the police department.  The entire story is told from the eyes and thoughts of this German Shepherd dog.  You are introduced the adults and trainers in her life through her clues and perspective. It is just a charming and wonderful story.

If a student loves dogs then this is the book for them.  I also found it fascinating to see how a puppy is actually trained for search and rescue situations.  This is not a book full of humor but of empathy and compassion in its heart warming story-line.  This is a great division 1 book for both boys and girls. The reading level is 4.2.  I give it a 4 out of 4.

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Grade Level: 3 - 7
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Starscape; First Edition edition (April 14, 2015)

The Question of Miracles by Elana K. Arnold

It's been awhile since I have posted a book....because, well I started reading adult books I guess! But I am now back to reading books from the Maud Hart Lovelace nominee potentials for next year.  I have several books to write about.

The Question of Miracles is a story about a girl named Iris Abernathy who has moved to a small town in Oregon with her parents.  She came from sunny California and the rainy weather of Oregon has not helped with her adjustment.  You also find out that Iris believes her best friend, who tragically died, is a ghost under the stairs closet in their new house.  I was getting ready for a scary mystery. But the book is actually about Iris as she tries to deal with the death of her best friend. She meets a boy who she finds out is considered a miracle because before he was born, they determined he would probably not survive and yet he thrived.  The Catholic church declares it a miracle and so Iris wonders how miracles are given out. Is it faith or luck? She spends time in counseling and just grappling with big questions of life. She also makes new friends and begins to slowly move on.

Iris's family is not a spiritual family and so her questions about miracles and God cannot be discussed with them without just getting more questions. She tries to look to others for different answers.  As a believer in God and his interest in my life, I felt sad that Iris had so little hope for her life and for others.  Her interest in her friend's miracle life shows that seeking answers outside of a concrete science thinking mindset is natural for people.  I am glad the author did not shut down all the thoughts about miracles but left it open for the readers.  When science can't answer, our spirit may just lead us to a greater truth.

This book moves a bit slowly, and since it isn't a ghost story after all, may be disappointing to some readers. I would give it a solid 3 out of 4.  It was a good book, but probably not going to appeal to everyone. It is a 5.3 reading level and perfect for 5th grade and up. More girl appeal as well.

Age Range: 10 - 12 years

• Grade Level: 5 - 7
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers (February 3, 2015)