The Flinkwater Factor by Pete Hautman

• Genre:  Science Fiction/Mystery
• Grade Level: 3rd - 6th
• AR Reading Level: 5.1 (6.0 pt.)
• Length: 256 pages  
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (September 1, 2015)
• My Rating: 5 out of 4
• Readability:  Fun, fast read
• Division 1 and Crossover

Meet Ginger Crump who lives in the town of Flinkwater, Iowa, home of the largest manufacturer of technology devices in the world.  Because of all of the very smart people who live in this town, the children are also very smart too.  Ginger is a 13 year old who finds herself in a mystery when the computer in the town start turning people into mental vegetables. She calls it being "bonked".
She recruits her best friend and genius, Billy George, to to figure out what is happening in their town.  All kinds of things turn up, including a talking dog, a sasquatch, a zombie and Agent Ffelps from Homeland Security chasing them down.

I enjoyed this story and despite the girly cover, it is a great book for both boys and girls.  Fun characters and funny situations make this book a fast read.

One Amazing Elephant by Linda Oatman High

• Genre:  Animal Story/Realistic Contemporary
• Grade Level: 4th - 6th 
• Reading Level: 4th?
• Length: 272 pages 
• Publisher: Harper Collins (February 14, 2017)
• My Rating: 5 out of 4
• Division 1 and Crossover

12 year old Lilly's grandparents and mother are circus performers.  Lilly, however, lives with her father and really doesn't care for the circus lifestyle. Her mother left years ago and has not given Lilly a maternal influence at all.  Her grandfather is also a caretaker of an elephant named Queenie Grace. Grandpa Bill dies suddenly and Lilly flies to Florida to be with the family.  The grief the family shares is also the same grief  Queenie Grace, the elephant experiences.  The alternating chapters are also from the point of view of  Queenie Grace which I always looked forward to

Lilly meets unique characters in this Florida town which is really a place where circus performers vacation during the winter.  She meets a boy who is "Alligator Boy" in the circus and they become good friends.  All of the characters interact as they deal with the loss of Grandpa Bill. . Conflict arises as they realize that the family can no longer afford to take care of Queenie Grace and she needs a new home. The estranged relationship between Lilly and her mother is also addressed. 

This book reminds me of The One and Only Ivan and Water for Elephants. The circus life is unique but family difficulties are universal.  I loved the characters and style of writing and flew through this story. I highly recommend this book.  

The Adventures of Henry Whiskers by Gigi Priebe

• Genre: Animal Story/Fantasy
• Grade Level: 2nd - 4th
• Reading Level: 3rd Grade?
• Length: 160 pages 
• Publisher: Aladdin (January 3, 2017)
• My Rating: 3 out of 4
• Division 1

The setting for this book is England in Windsor Castle in Queen Mary's Dollhouse. 25 generations of mice have lived in this very ornate and lifelike doll house. Henry Whisker's little sister is missing and he goes looking for her with his cousin Jeremy.   There is a car chase when they go into the doll house garage and borrow one of the cars.  Danger also lurks ahead as they accidentally go into the rat's territory. Of course the castle's cat is also part of this dangerous adventure.  

This is a nice book for the beginning chapter book reader.  It is probably too simple for the 3rd-5th grade reader for Division 1.  I chose to read this book because it was an Amazon best book of the month for January 2017.  I got a little bored with the story and give it a 3 out of 4 rating.  

Sick Days = Stack of Books!

I came down with a nasty cold and used lots of tissues, medicine, and vitamin C.  But, I did feel like reading and read this stack of books!  Wow!  I admit that one of the books was abandoned and I ended up skimming the last half of another one because I lost interest.  So, stay tuned for book reviews!  I really loved several of them.  

Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh

• Genre: Short Stories 
• Grade Level: 5th - 8th
• Reading Level: 5.0
• Length: 240 pages 
• Publisher: Crown Books  (January 3, 2017)
• My Rating: 3 out of 4
• Division 2

This is a collection of short stories that have been collected by Ellen Oh who is the cofounder of We Need Diverse Books.  There are ten stories written by a variety of authors.  Most of the stories are geared more for the middle school age student. Topics include basketball, bigfoot, pirates, crushes, friendship, and family.

My favorites:

The Difficult Path by Grace Lin:  Lingsi is sold to a family because her own family cannot afford her. Her mother asks that the Li family educate her when she turns 6 years old. As Lingsi grows up it seems she may have to wed the despised son, but on a trip to the city she and other servants are captured by pirates where Lingsi finds a better life for herself.

Seventy-Six Dollars and Forty-Nine Cents by Kwame Alexander:  Written in free verse, Monk is crushing on a girl in his school and after hitting his head is able to read minds. He uses this skill to get a date with her.

Sometimes a Dream Needs a Push by Walter Dean Myers:  Chris is in a wheelchair after a car accident. His dreams of playing basketball are revived when he joins a wheelchair team. His father who was a professional basketball player is able to coach his team.

Some of the stories in this book did not capture me like my favorites.  It is a nice selection and might make some good read alouds as well.  I was hoping that the grade level would be more upper elementary but I do think most of the stories were aimed at the middle school group.

Iditarod Background for March is Reading Month

March is reading month at Sunset Terrace. Our theme this week is Tongue Twisters and Fox in Socks.  I found a great video so I didn't have to read the tongue twisters 26 times!

We are also doing the Iditaread-A-Thon.  So here are some videos for background knowledge about the Iditarod.

Smithsonian - How a Diphtheria Outbreak Spawned the Iditarod

Jeff King four-time musher winner

Weather and Iditarod

Soar by Joan Bauer

• Genre: Sports Fiction 
• Grade Level: 4th - 6th
• Reading Level: 3.6
• Length: 304 pages (6 hours)
• Publisher: Viking  (January 5, 2016)
• My Rating: 5 out of 4
• Division 1 or Crossover

I loved this book!  It had so much humor, compassion, passion, and hope.  It is about a 12 year old boy named Jeremiah who was abandoned as a baby but adopted by the single man who found him in the break room at work.  Jeremiah gets sick and ends up having to have a heart transplant. He can no longer play baseball, the game he loves. Walt, his father, who is a computer expert and consultant have to move to Ohio. While they are there, Jeremiah discovers a town that loves baseball too. But then a tragedy happens and it looks like no one will play the game anymore.  Jeremiah decides to volunteer as a coach for the middle school team and he coaches the underdogs into believing in the game again. 

This book is so funny at times. I just wanted to stop and write down the great one liners as well as the inspirational sayings sprinkled through out the book.  Sometimes you just have to stop and think about what is written before you continue reading.  The book is easy to read and I could hardly put it down.  A lot of lessons are learned in this novel. This is the kind of positive message book that we need more of. I highly recommend it. Boys should love it as well as girls.  I also think it would be a great classroom read aloud. 

Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart

• Genre: Adventure Fiction 
• Grade Level: 5th - 8th
• Reading Level: 4.1
• Length: 256 pages (8 hours)
• Publisher: Scholastic  (January 3, 2017)
• My Rating: 4 out of 4
• Division 2

My sister and I are doing something we call the 2017 club.  We are going to try and read at least two books each month that have a 2017 copyright.  I am going to try and choose my books from Junior Library Guild lists, Amazon monthly picks or from mock Newbery lists.  My hope is to have read at least one of the Newbery books when they are announced next winter.  It will also allow me to add some great books to the Maud Hart Lovelace consideration list.

Scar Island sounded a little gruesome to me when I read some of the early reviews.  However, Amazon had picked it for a January Best Book and I picked it up from our public library.  It turned out to be a great book full of adventure and great characters.  Jonathan Grisby arrives at the Slabhenge Reformatory School for Trouble Boys by boat on a stormy and rainy evening. It is located on a small island in an ancient lighthouse and fortress. Rats, crumbling walls, stench and deplorable conditions along with verbal and physical abuse are the prison conditions he encounters. 16 boys and 8 pirate like wardens live at the school. However, a freak lightning strike kills all of the adults and the boys are left alone. They decide not get help but enjoy time without any adults.  Of course, someone has to become the leader and it seems that life might not be much better under peer control. 

Jonathan has lots of guilt upon his heart as he deals with the reason he  ended up at the island but redemption and transformation through the extreme difficulties he faces on the island are the result. The ending of this book brought lessons and a feeling that despite difficulties in life, there is hope. 

I highly recommend this book. I think boys will like it a lot. 

Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley

• Genre: Realistic Fiction 
• Grade Level: 3rd - 5th
• Reading Level: 4.7
• Length: 249 pages (6 hours)
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux (October 4, 2016)
• My Rating: 4 out of 4

Gertie is entering 5th grade and has decided that she is going to have the best back to school speech. Her ultimate goal is to become the very best 5th grader in her school.  Why? Because she finds out that her mother, who has left her father and her, is now moving away. Gertie wants to show her mother that she is really leaving a great kid behind.  Of course, the new girl seems to always find a way to over achieve  and beat Gertie.  Gertie has lots of spunk and is not afraid to try again to make her dream come true. 

There are a lot of great illustrations throughout this book.  Despite the fact that Gertie is in 5th grade, she is an innocent child with lots of personality and character.  She reminds me of Junie B., Ramona Quimby, or Clementine. This is a great read aloud and perfect for a  better younger reader to read independently.   

MN Star of the North 2017 BookTrailers

Here are some of the video links I used to review the 9 out of the 10 Star of the North Books.  

I couldn't find anything for Rhoda's Rock Hunt.  But I did include a short video about balancing rock cairns. We fell in love with Emily Arrow who sings Water is Water.  Check out her other book songs!

Rhoda's Rock Hunt  

The Bear Ate Your Sandwich  

Emmanuel's Dream  

Water is Water  

Red   

In a Village By the Sea  

Night Animals   

Wolfie The Bunny

Ballet Cat    

Sidewalk Flowers  

Cloud and Wallfish by Anne Nesbet

• Genre: Historical Fiction (1989 - East Berlin)
• Grade Level: 5th - 8th
• Reading Level: 5.8
• Length: 400 pages (12 hours)
• Publisher: Candlewick (September 2, 2016)
• My Rating: 4 out of 4

It is 1989 in Virginia and 5th grader Noah Keller is picked up after school by his parents and told that they are leaving immediately for East Berlin.  They tell Noah he has a new name which is Jonah, a new birthday, and give him a photo album which consists of his new made up past.  His parents even throw away his new backpack with his old name written on it.  The parents act very strange and I begin to be sure that they are really spies headed to East Berlin, behind Iron Curtain. Noah's (Jonah) mother is going to be studying the special education system in East Berlin and her focus is speech disorders. Noah has a stutter which is the reason for her interest. (Noah (Jonah) mentions it many times but you never see much dialogue in a stutter format.)

Noah meets a girl in the park and together they make up code names for each other. Claudia becomes Cloud because it sound similar and Jonah's name becomes Wallfish because whale sounds like wallfish in German.  Their friendship is forbidden along with most things. Noah isn't even allowed to attend school at first.  Lots of suspicion, mystery and spying are a part of the plot. There are many fact files at the end of chapters that help readers to understand different aspects of life in East Germany during this time.  

This book is intriguing and I was fascinated by the parents and how cool and collected they were during their stay. They seemed like the ultimate spies. Yet, you never really find out how involved they were since the story was Noah's story.  I have not read much about everyday life in East Berlin during this time and yet I know the phrase "behind the Iron Curtain" came with fear and curiosity when I was young. 

I recommend this book for middle school and even adults.  Very interesting story!

The Great Good Summer by Liz Garton Scanlon

• Genre: Realistic Contemporary
• Grade Level: 3rd - 6th 
• Reading Level: 5.3
• Length: 240 pages (7 hours)
• Publisher: Beach Lane Books (May 5, 2015)
• My Rating: 3 out of 4

Ivy is spending her summer before 7th grade babysitting two preschoolers and trying to make sense of her  world.  Her mother has left her father and her and run off with a preacher named Hallelujah Dave and his traveling ministry to Florida. She was depressed and sad and needed to figure out her life again.  She left her phone at home and has only sent a few postcards home.  

Ivy spends her days at a park with the kids she babysits and they watch people fly their remote control planes. Paul one of the boys she sees everyday who also happens to be a classmate. He is a science lover and  talks to Ivy about being sad that the NASA space shuttle program is being discontinued. Together, Ivy and Paul discuss life and faith as they struggle with their own beliefs and Christian upbringing. Ivy and Paul decide to pool their money and sneak away on a bus to Florida from Texas to find Ivy's mother. They also plan to go to Kennedy Space Center to see the space shuttle.  Of course, running away comes with lots of complications, but they eventually have a good conclusion despite the bumps along the way. 

This was a nice book.  I was reading a paperback copy with terrible paper and a lighter print which annoyed me.  But the story was unique and quirky. The story line of the mother running away was a bit strange but yet it let the author address questions of faith that both main characters had.  Faith is not a topic addressed in many of the books I have read lately and yet it is something that middle-schoolers do begin to think about and struggle with.  It is not a preachy story but just lets the characters explore their questions with the reader. 

The story might have been a little slow....I ended up quitting halfway and not picking it up for a few days....so it wasn't a stay up all night and read kind of book. But overall I give it a good rating.  

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....

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