The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

  

Adult Read or High School

Genre:  Historical Fiction

My Rating: 5 out of 4

Readability: Couldn’t put it down, unforgettable, must read! 

Summary: 
Reunited when the elder's husband is sent to fight in World War II, French sisters Vianne and Isabelle find their bond as well as their respective beliefs tested by a world that changes in horrific ways. The plot contains graphic violence.

I asked someone last year what the best book they read was and they mentioned this title and so I purchased it at the Barnes and Noble book fair our school was hosting. It was the very best choice for purchase. I usually don’t read books again…. but I may just reread this one. I also am lending it out to several people already. (That is my joy…sharing books!) So, if you haven’t read this book, get it and read it!  It is GOOD!

I connected to characters and I was so amazed at the trials they went through knowing this was probably very typical of women during WWW II. It made me so thankful and inspired. This is a book I read on vacation and was so glad I could just read and read and read. Of course, it is always sad to come to end of a great book that you loved reading because you don’t know what you can even find to read next.  I felt that way when I finished reading Little House on the Prairie books in 3^rd grade. I wasn’t sure if I could ever find anything better!

So read this everyone and let me know what was your best book last year!

Cheating for the Chicken Man by Priscilla Cummings

2018-2019 Maud Hart Lovelace Reading List

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: 5^th and up

Reading Level: 4.9 (10 points)

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers (July 14, 2015)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Readability: Great story, may need previous books to fully connect.

MHL Division: Division 2

Summary: 
High-school freshman Kate promised her dying father to look after her older brother, who is just back from juvenile detention. This year, that seems to involve paying off the bullies at school by doing their schoolwork.

This book has been getting good reviews from my reading group. They pointed out that it was the sequel from the book The Red Kayak which was a previous Maud Hart Lovelace nominee.  I discovered that it is actually the third book of a trilogy. A tragedy happens in the first novel that involves three friends and The Red Kayak is from the point of view of Brady. The Journey Back is from the point of view of Digger and Cheating for the Chicken Man is from the point of view of Kate who is JT’s sister.  I do think this book benefits from at least reading the first book to fully connect with the situations and issues. However, if you read this one first, you will probably be looking for the other titles to read.

There are a lot of issues going on this book. It involves bullying, environmental farm issues, ethical decisions, forgiveness, mental illness, grief and people who are learning to live and do the right things. Lots of issues to think about and discuss! Since it involves high school students, this book could also be classified as young adult too. 

In this story, Kate tries to help her brother, JT, who has just come home from one year in juvenile detention. JT’s former bullies are back tormenting him and Kate takes things into her own hands.  She also tries to deal with family situations and farming issues they have on their chicken farm on her own. Of course, without support, her ideas fall apart on her. This story shows us how one mistake can have repercussions for a long time. This is a type of book that teaches us more empathy for each other in our own lives. 

Buy all three books and read them one after another! Great realistic fiction. 

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes

2018-2019 Maud Hart Lovelace Reading List

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: 4th-6^th

Reading Level: 3.3 (4 points)

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 3rd edition (July 12, 2016)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Readability: Easy to read, lots of white space and some pencil drawings. 

MHL Division: Division 1 or Crossover

Summary: 
While learning about September 11^th, fifth-grader Deja, who was born after the attacks, realizes how much the events still color her world.

Last year was the 15th anniversary of the 911 tragedy.  Several authors published books for middle grade students and both books are on the reading list.  I really liked Baskin’s book Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story, so reading this new title was a competition for me.  It turns out I liked both. This book seemed a little heavy with lessons at times but moved back to plot and character focus to redeem itself.

Towers Falling is a good choice for a younger group of kids and it has a lower reading level.  I also recommend watching the publisher's book trailer, posted above, which shows the pencil drawings sprinkled throughout the book. It does a good job explaining the book plot.

The main character, Deja, in this book lives in a homeless center in New York City with her family. When she goes to her new school which has a view of New York City skyline, she finds that they are going to be learning with a new curriculum which will help kids understand September 11, 2001.  She also makes some friends who are also new to the school. Together they bond and learn together.  Deja also learns about the reasons for the problems her family are experiencing which relate to this day in history.

This book would be a great read aloud!  Kids are very curious about 911 and this book would be a good choice.  

A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold

2017 Copyright

Genre:  Realistic

Grade Level: 2nd - 5th

Reading Level: 4.6 (3 points)

Length: 208 pages 

Publisher: Walden Pond Press (March 14, 2017)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Readability: Fun, Fast, and Easy! (pictures and lots of white space)

MHL Division?: Division 1

Summary:  

Bat's mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter. But the minute Bat (Bixby Alexander Tam) meets the kit, he knows they belong together.

I got this book from a Junior LibraryGuild selection in May. I like getting these subscription boxes each month because they choose something that usually is a book many others will be reviewing and talking about. I feel like I have an inside scoop on the best books coming out.  I just upped my subscriptions to 4 books each month for my library. I have finally figured out that I can also do exchanges and pick out books that I want as well. 

A Boy Called Bat is a great book for elementary schools.  So many books I read are for grades 4 and up. This book could easily be given to a 1^st grader with advanced reading skills as well.  It would make a great read aloud for the younger grades too.

Bat is a third grader who is on the autism spectrum and so he has some unique and endearing personality qualities. When his mother, who is a vet, brings home a baby skunk, he is immediately connected. He tries to figure out how to keep this baby longer than what his mother plans. 

The plot is simple but I enjoyed the characters and their interactions. Bat’s mother and father are divorced and so you see how that plays out in the family dynamics. His sister is funny, his mother is loving, and his teacher is understanding of kids.  Overall, a sweet read! I would recommend this for a future MHL book. 

In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall III

Maud Hart Lovelace 2018-2019 Reading List

·         Genre:  Realistic/Historical

·         Grade Level: 4th -  8th

·         Reading Level: 4.7 (4 points)

·         Length: 176 pages 

·         Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (November 10, 2015)

·         My Rating: 4 out of 4 

·         Readability: I abandoned on last read, but enjoyed it this time. (Slow Start)

·         Division: Division 2

·        Summary:  Teased for his fair coloring, Jimmy McClean travels with his grandfather, Nyles High Eagle, to learn about his Lakota heritage while visiting places significant in the life of Crazy Horse, the nineteenth-century Lakota leader and warrior.

I started reading this last year but ending up abandoning it because it was a slow start for me.  I gave it another chance since I have heard several people talk about how great this book is.  I also want to give this book with Native American characters a chance since we have so few of them for younger students.  

Jimmy is 3/4 Lakota and 1/4 Irish, but he looks Irish and so he is teased at school. His grandfather takes him on a trip to teach him about the history of his relative Crazy Horse who was a very great leader and warrior for the Lakota.  They stop at spots of importance in the life of Crazy Horse and Jimmy learns about the character of Crazy Horse who will be become a great influence to him in his new school year. 

This book is a must read for students! There is so little out there that describes historical life from the Native Indian perspective.  It was very sad to hear how unfairly the Lakota people and other tribes were treated by the United States.  I think that is information that students should be aware of. I highly recommend this book as a read aloud along with some background information. 

Free Verse by Sarah Dooley

  

Maud Hart Lovelace 2018-2019 Reading List

·         Genre:  Realistic

·         Grade Level: 5th - 7th

·         Reading Level: 4.7 (9 points)

·         Length: 352 pages

·         Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (March 15, 2016)

·         My Rating: 4 out of 4

·         Readability: Takes time to develop...and then the story changes.

·         Division: Division 2

·        Summary:  Sasha is left alone after the deaths of her father and brother. With the help of a foster mom and newfound relatives, she learns to heal and express herself through poetry. The plot contains profanity.

This book started out slowly for me because it takes time to figure out what is going on! The author doesn't lay everything out for you but you discover things as you would when getting to know someone. Sash is the main character who experiences such sadness and grief in her life.  Her mother leaves the family when she is young, and then her father dies in a mining accident and then her brother and caregiver dies too.  She ends up in foster care. As you can imagine, Sasha has lots of anxiety and trauma which makes her a very difficult kid.  And then there is the running away and violent behavior that she displays in her actions. 

Suddenly the book changes and Sasha also has a change of residence. She becomes involved in a poetry club and discovers some release in her writing.  Her new cousin that she meets becomes a important piece in this part of the plot along with another dramatic problem. Poetry becomes an important part of her healing. 

This book started to take hold of me.  It is a different type of plot line and the book is even divided up into four parts.  A lot of sadness and trouble happens in this story.  Some is resolved and some isn't.  It is a lot like life....except I hope someone doesn't have to experience so much in a young life.  Unfortunately, it is probably familiar to some kids. 

I am not sure if this is going to be a story that will be for lots of kids but if they stick with it and don't mind a sad book, this will be a book for them.  

The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

I listened to this book while on a car trip to Wisconsin's Door County.  It was fun to realize that the setting of this book is not only Alabama but also Wisconsin!  Fannie Flagg reads this story in the audio versions and she does a fabulous job.  She is an amazing storyteller!

The story starts with Sookie Poole of Alabama discovering by accident that she is adopted and was never told in her 60 years of life. She begins to secretly investigate her background. The story then switches to Wisconsin in the 1940's and tells about a family who runs a gas filling station. Later the children in the family serve in the war and the girls actually fly planes for the military in the WASP program (Women Air Force Service Program).  Sookie quickly learns that her mother was from this family. 

The story goes back and forth between the two stories but eventually they come together and you learn the mystery of who is Sookie's biological mother. In the meantime, you are entertained by all kinds of interesting characters from both stories.  I highly recommend this book in audio.  I enjoyed it a great deal!

Pilfer Academy by Lauren Magaziner

Maud Hart Lovelace 2018-2019 Reading List

• Genre:  Humor - Adventure
• Grade Level: 3rd - 7th
• Reading Level: 5.1 (7 points)
• Length: 272 pages
• Publisher:  Dial Books (February 16, 2016)
• My Rating: 4 out of 4
• Readability: Fun to read - very humorous!
• Division: Crossover 
• Summary:  When George is brought to Pilfer Academy, a secret school for training young thieves, he has the time of his life, until he realizes he's much too goodhearted to actually steal anything.

George has a talent and love of stealing things from his family and friends.  One day, he is kidnapped and brought to a secret school which teaches how to be the very best thieves in the world.  At first, George loves this new acadmey but eventually realizes that there is something really wrong with the school and he is not able to become a thief after all.  But, getting out proves to be quite the adventure!

This story has a silly tone and so everything doesn't always make sense. I just went with it and enjoyed the adventures. I loved the ending where we see that George really has a great heart and isn't going to end up in the life of crime!

The Only Game by Mike Lupica

  

    

• Genre:  Sports - Baseball
• Grade Level: 4th - 6th
• Reading Level: 5.0 (9 points)
• Length: 320 pages
• Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (February 17, 2015)
• My Rating: 3 out of 4
• Readability: If you love baseball talk... this book is great.  I skimmed most of the book when they started describing the games.
• Division: Crossover 
• Summary:  Sixth grade is supposed to be the year that Jack would lead his team to the Little League World Series, but after the death of his brother, he loses interest in baseball, and only Cassie, star of the girls' softball team, seems to understand. Book #1 in Home Team Series

I buy all of the the Mike Lupica books. He is a sure bet for a sports book that boys will like. This series should be another winner.  Since I am not a sport person, the play by plays of the games just bore me and I let myself skim through them. This book gave me a lot of skimming! If you are a sports announcer, as the author is, I imagine this is his wheelhouse. 

I found the first hundred pages very interesting as the characters were being developed.  I loved Cassie, the star of the softball team.  She is feisty and a strong leader. The other character, Teddy, who was being teased and lacked confidence in sports was also interesting. These characters, along with Jack's best friend Gus, appear in all of four of the series. 

I gave this book a 3 because I would recommend it as a good read to kids who loved sports. I really like the characters but would have liked to have more story about them instead of the baseball games. If I was reading this for myself, I would have quit! Just too much baseball talk. 

Waiting for Unicorns by Beth Hautala

• Genre:  Realistic - MN Author
• Grade Level: 4th - 7th
• Reading Level: 5.3 (8 points)
• Length: 256 pages
• Publisher:  Philomel Books (January 22, 2015)
• My Rating: 4 out of 4
• Readability: Great setting, characters, and story!
• Division: Crossover (not on the list yet)
• Summary:  After her mother dies, 12-year-old Talia McQuinn goes to the Arctic with her father, a whale researcher. Over the course of one summer and several unlikely friendships, Talia learns that stories have the power to connect us and pull us out of darkness.

Talia is dealing with the grief and heartache of losing her mother to cancer.  Her father, a researcher, who has spent many summers in Churchill, Manitoba studying beluga whales takes her with him but has to leave her behind with a friend while he goes on his weeks long expedition.  Talia feels alone but discovers friendship with others who are also in Churchill for the summer.  She  begins to open her heart again to relationships including Sura, the local Inuit woman they are staying with.  

This book is so good!  I loved learning about village life in Churchill, Manitoba. Talia and her father arrive early summer and temperatures are still between 0 and 30 degrees! The characters in this story are so interesting, I was also fascinated by the culture of the contemporary Inuit village. There is a little natural science in this book as you find out a little bit about whales and even the elusive narwhal whale.  

This is a story of dealing with grief and loss and healing and new friendships.  I highly recommend this book.  The author is from Minnesota - I think around Brainerd. I don't see this book out in paperback yet.  Kind of disappointing since it would make a great Maud Hart Lovelace selection.  The author has a second book coming out next spring (2018).  I look forward to reading it. 

The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis

·         2017 Copyright – Amazon Best Book of the Month – June – Grades 4-6
·         Genre: Fantasy
·         Grade Level: 3rd - 7th 
·         Reading Level: 4th
·         Length: 256 pages
·         Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (May 30, 2017)
·         My Rating: 4 out of 4
·         Readability: Fun dragon story and enjoyable to read.
·         Not eligible for MHL or Newbery because the author lives in Wales.

Summary:  After drinking enchanted hot chocolate, a brave young dragon is transformed into a twelve-year-old human girl with a passion for chocolate.

Adventurine is a young dragon who is bored and restless and decides to leave the safety of her cave and family and seek adventure.  The first person she encounters is a magician who turns her into a girl after inviting her to drink a cup of hot chocolate.  Who could blame him, because he doesn’t want to get eaten himself!  After the transformation, Adventurine sets off to the village to figure out how to live as a girl. She has also fallen in love with chocolate and sets off to get more to satisfy her intense craving.  The village happens to have three chocolate restaurants and she figures that finding work in one of these establishments.  Of course, not understanding the culture of people gets her into all kinds of trouble.  But the real trouble is when the dragons start searching for Adventurine and as a result put fear into the village people.  

What a fun fantasy story about dragons!  I admit, it is a girly cover and the audience will probably be girls. I can picture this book being a great movie! 

Confessions of an Imaginary Friend by Michelle Cuevas

• Maud Hart Lovelace Reading List
• Genre: Fantasy
• Grade Level: 3-5
• Reading Level: 4.8 (4.0 pts)
• Length: 176 pages
• Publisher: Dial Books (September 8, 2015)
• My Rating: 3 out of 4
• Readability: Fast read, a little confusing at first, got better and better with a great ending!
• Division 1 
• Summary:  Jacques Papier thinks everyone except his sister Fleur hates him but is shocked when he finally learns the truth: He is Fleur's imaginary friend. When he convinces Fleur to free him, he begins a surprising, touching, and funny quest to find himself.

This book is a memoir of Jacques, an imaginary friend to a little girl.  Jacques narrates this story as he tells about his adventures after being a friend to Fleur and then what happens to him when he looks for a new friend.  It is a quirky story that is written with a wonderful literary style that reminded me of books written by Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, Neil Gaiman, and Kate DiCamillo. Since Jacques doesn't really believe he is imaginary, his point of view is of a "real'' person.  I think that threw me when I started to read this book - a little confusing for me.  I was going to quit reading but decided to give it a few more pages.  It just got better and better!  The ending was so satisfying.

So, I rated it a 3 out of 4 because of the slow beginning. I also think this book might need some coaxing for kids to read since the cover seems early elementary.  I am anxious to find out what other readers think of this book.  

Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar

• 2017 Copyright 
• Genre: Historical Fiction/Immigrants from Cuba/Coming of Age
• Grade Level: 5th and up
• Reading Level: 4th grade
• Length: 256 pages
• Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books (April 11, 2017)
• My Rating: 4 out of 4
• Readability: Couldn't put it down, lots of spanish sprinkled throughout which I didn't know what it meant but didn't affect my enjoyment of the book.
• Division 2 
• Summary:  In 1960s New York, fifth-grader Ruthie, a Cuban-Jewish immigrant, must rely on books, art, her family, and friends in her multicultural neighborhood when an accident puts her in a body cast.

This book is based on the life and experiences of the author growing up as a refugee from Cuba and living in New York City. The story starts with Ruthie being able to go to a regular classroom when her English is good enough.  Later, her father brings home a dream car and they have an accident with a drunk driver. Ruthie ends up with a broken leg and put into a body cast and bedridden for a year. Despite such a terrible situation, she finds friendship, love of literature, art, and storytelling. She struggles with forgiveness, God, boredom, fear, but overcomes despite all her struggles.  It is really an amazing story.

I hope teachers assign this as a book to read or for a book club. I think there are a lot of discussion points.  I did wonder why she struggled so much with God when her family is Jewish. Perhaps they didn't pass on their faith to her. The story does show how kids do think about such things and find comfort in prayer in difficult situations. And even though this is a book about a struggle, there is joy in the story and Ruth has a turning point in her life in this year as she looks to what she wants to do in the future which will include art and writing.

I read this book quickly and was surprised and how connected I became to this book.

Dove Arising by Karen Bao

• 2019 Maud Hart Lovelace List
• Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopian
• Grade:  7th & Up
• Reading Level: 6.1 (13 points)
• Length: 336 pages
• Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (February 24, 2015)
• My Rating: 2.5 out of 4
• Readability: Felt long, made me sleepy, lots of science background 
• Division 2
• Summary:  Introvert Phaet Theta, is a model citizen whose faith, and beliefs are tested when she is forced to confront disturbing truths about her society and its government in order to save her family. Book #1

This story is set on the moon in the future.  The people who live there have escaped the earth and have colonized on the moon. They have also made their own governing system which turns out to be very restrictive with little freedom. 15 year old Phaet ends up joining the militia so she can free her mother from a life long prison sentence or death and becomes a star student who uses her intelligence and strength to help her family. 

This book is written by a very gifted teenager who knows a lot about science.  Really amazing that this is her first book. However, it was hard for me to stay awake!  There are a lot of fighting scenes and maybe that is what caused me keep dozing off. When I watch a movie with lots of action and little dialogue I also fall asleep. So, this book went on forever for me.  I did love the whole premise of the story and wanted to really love the book but I found that I just wanted to finish and it was taking forever.   

There is a little bit of a love story and a lot of fighting and action. They swear using made up words from their moon colony.  The author is driving home the point that a government that permits free speech and print is one that can be very dangerous. 

I gave it a 2.5 because I was impressed with this author's first novel, but it was a disappointing read for me..