Once in a Blue Moon Lodge by Lorna Landvik

Adult Read

Genre:  Fiction

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Readability: Easy and Fun Read!

I went to  Lorna Landvik's book signing this summer in Park Rapids, Minnesota. It was standing room only and she was so funny and warm that I knew I had to get the book. The public library had a long list of reserves this summer and so I just picked it up on Friday and spent the weekend on the couch instead of the 90 degree heat we were experiencing this fall reading. 

It is about the family from Landvik's book Patty Jane's House of Curl which I read ages ago. (1995 copyright) This book could be a stand alone book, since I can't remember much about the first one.  I think I may need to reread that one though!  The family is a wonderful Minnesota family with lots of quirky characters which experience life with each other and their neighbors and friends. 

Nora is the daughter of Patty Jane and she ends up buying a huge lake lodge somewhere around Brainerd, MN because of a very unusual situation. Her Norwegian husband, triplets, mother and father and significant other as well as her grandparents become residents of the home as well.  This book basically gives you a peek into their lives. A friend of mine told me that she like reading because she was a big snoop and liked to know what was going on in someone's life.  This is a perfect kind of book for that! You never know what small things in life will make a big impact on you and who you meet along the way will be important to you.  Everyone is a character and there are lots of laughs and some tears as well.  A great weekend read!

Fort by Cynthia Defelice

2017-2018 MHL Nominee

Genre:  Realistic

Grade Level: 3^rd – 7th

Reading Level: 4.4 (5 points) 208 pages

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (May 19, 2015)

My Rating: 2 out of 4

Readability: Easy to read and quick.

MHL Division: Crossover

Summary: 

When older boys trespass in the fort where Wyatt and Augie have been enjoying a wonderful summer, they team up with another bullied kid to exact revenge against the older boys, with unexpected consequences.

Two boys spend the summer building a fort, fishing, camping, catching squirrels and fighting the older boys who are bullying them and blaming all their antics on a special needs boy. Wyatt and Augie befriend the boy and come up with a plan to get even with the bullies…. making sure no one is physically hurt in the process.

I abandoned this book the first time I read it because of how one of the boys is obsessed by the Grandmother’s larger chest.  I just didn’t think it was necessary.  As I read the entire book this time, this issue is mentioned a few more times. The boys also like to look at their uncle’s girly calendar.  I imagine the author put these things in the book because she felt it was realistic for an adolescent to wonder and encounter these things. However, it left me with a sour taste. I did love how the boys befriended the boy who had special needs and created a nice friendship. This was a good example.The conclusion in how they get even was funny and satisfying. 

Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder

2017 Copyright MG

Genre:  Fantasy

Grade Level: 3^rd – 7th

Reading Level: 4.3 (9 points) 288 pages

Publisher: Walden Pond Press (May 30, 2017)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Readability: Easy to read, fascinating!

MHL Division: Crossover

Summary: 

On the island, everything is perfect, but each year, a boat arrives with one new child and takes the oldest child away.

9 children live on an island without any adults. The oldest child is the elder and takes care of the youngest child. When the boat comes, about once a year, the oldest child leaves, and a new child comes. A new elder takes their place. Every other year a boy and then a girl come to the island and there seems to a rhythm in this process. Throughout the year the children live in their own cabins, forage for food, play, read, hunt and live in a wonderful island community. In this story, the eldest girl, Jinny, decides not to get on the boat when it is her turn.  The balance of the island starts to change and trouble begins to brew.

This book has an ending that some have really hated. I didn’t mind that everything is not wrapped up for us. There is a somewhat dream-like mystical state to this book and I found myself wishing I could live on this island too.  You can also start to understand the fable like quality. Perhaps this is an expression of what childhood might be like and the island gives us this wisdom. Read this book….it is fun to imagine this life…and what it really means.

Refugee by Alan Gratz

2017 Copyright MG

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Grade Level: 5^th – 8th

Reading Level: 5^th Grade (800 Lexile) 353 pages

Publisher: Scholastic Press (July 25, 2017)

My Rating: 5 out of 4

Readability: Intense and hard to put down. Maybe a Newbery contender?

MHL Division: Division 2

Summary: 

Tells the story of three different children and their families seeking refuge from the 1930’s, 1994, and 2015.

This book is a must read for adults as well as middle grade readers. It is an intense adventure story that is woven around three children and their families as they seek refuge from a country that no longer can be their home. One story is about Josef and his family in the 1930’s as they take a cruise ship from Germany to Cuba to escape Nazi persecution, only to be turned away. A Cuban family in 1994 takes a homemade raft out to sea hoping to make it to Florida soil to start a better life. A family from war torn Syria flees to Europe only to be detained again and again in their journey. All the stories go back and forth and the chapter’s cliff hangers often reflect the beginning of the next story. It is an amazing presentation of three stories and how they weave together a similar story of a refugee and the hardship and determination they bring. 

Amina's Voice by Hena Khan

2017 Copyright MG

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: 3rd – 7th

Reading Level: 5.0 (5 points) 208 pages

Publisher: Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (March 14, 2017)

My Rating: 3 out of 4

Readability: Easy to Read

MHL Division: Division 1 or Crossover

Summary: 
Amina, a Pakistani American Muslim girl, struggles to stay true to her family's culture while dealing with the vandalism of the local Islamic Center and mosque and her best friend Soojin's new friendship with their former nemesis.

I thought this story would be more edgy and for older middle school and high school students but it is not. It is great for elementary through 6^th or 7^th.  It is about an everyday American Muslim girl and of course a bit about how her religion and culture affect her life. Amina loves to sing and plays the piano and even though it is not approved of in a traditional Muslim home, Amina’s parents feel her talent is a gift from God and support her.  When Amina’s uncle comes for a visit from Pakistan, his more traditional values do not approve of his American relatives. However, they find common ground. The vandalism of the local mosque happens at the end of the story and is not necessarily the main plot. The theme is working together with many cultures, religions, and values and being respectful of each other. 

I give it a 3 out of 4 rating because it is a book we need at school. The plot and story were simple and straight forward and not as memorable as other books I have read. 

Summerlost by Ally Condie

 2018-2019 Maud Hart Lovelace Nomination List

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: 5^th – 8^th  

Reading Level: 4.1 (6 points) 272 pages

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers (March 29, 2016)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Readability: I enjoyed this fun and fast read.

MHL Division:  Division 2 or Crossover

Summary: 
Following the sudden deaths of her father and autistic younger brother, Cedar Lee spends the summer working at a Shakespearean theater festival, making a new friend and coming to terms with her grief.

I really liked reading this book. It was easy and quick to read and the plot was interesting. I also connected with the main character and enjoyed tagging along with her in her summer working at a Shakespeare festival. There is a bit of a mystery in the book involving a famous actress from the town and mysterious objects and vultures.  Cedar also wrestles with mourning the death of her father and younger brother.

Cedar Lee makes a friend named Leo who rides to work at the Shakespeare festival in his costume. She is curious about him and meets him, hit it off and then Leo is able to get a job for her as well at the festival. They become great friends and Cedar helps Leo with a business scheme so he can earn money to go to England.  I loved their friendship because she just clicked with him. Later Cedar questions Leo and wonders if he considers her a “girlfriend”. He responds that she is his person. And Cedar thought that was correct…she liked him like that too.

One thing I would change in this book is the paperback cover.  It is really boring and plain and not very enticing. The hardcover with the bicycles is much better.  The paperback cover might make the book a tougher sell!

The Not So Quiet Library by Zachariah Ohora

The Not So Quiet Library Spark Video Link

I found a delightful back to school library book this year! It is so much fun and includes noisy monsters who don't like books, donuts and story time on a cozy Saturday at the local library. The librarian makes out like a hero to save the day and the books, monsters and library life continue quietly once again!

I created a narrated Spark Video of this book.  I plan on reading it first to my class and discussing it and then watching and listening on the video!  The father tying library books to the top of his car cracked me up as well as when Dad heads up to the "Nap" department at the library.  I agree, sometimes a quiet corner in the library can promote napping too!

Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Milton

2018-2019 Maud Hart Lovelace Nomination List

Genre:  Free Verse/Historical Fiction

Grade Level: 4^th – 8th

Reading Level: 4.7 (5 points) 400 pages

Publisher: Dial Books (September 8, 2015)

My Rating: 3 out of 4

Readability: Lots of white space/easy to read

MHL Division: Division 2 or Crossover

Summary: 
n 1969, twelve-year-old Mimi and her family move to an all-white town in Vermont, where Mimi's mixed-race background and interest in "boyish" topics like astronomy make her feel like an outsider.

Our group really liked this book, but I got stalled or distracted and took a while to finish it. I finally flew through it when I came a plot point where Mimi tries to take shop so she can learn how to build things for science projects. She is told she must take home economics, yet she explains, she already knows how to cook and sew! What her classmates do in an example of civil disobedience is delightful! Since, I was once a home economics teacher, I felt very connected to this part of the book. I also was reading this book around the time of the eclipse of the sun on August 21^st. Mimi is very interested in the moon and this is often a subject in the poetry. She dreams of being an astronaut someday. 

This book touches on diversity, dreams, science, history and gives students another chance to read poetry that creates a story. Most of the poems carry on the story but occasionally you find a page that is just a beautiful poetry picture.  I think this is a good reading choice.  I gave it a 3 just because I found it a bit difficult to connect with it at first. 

This is Just a Test by Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wa-Long Shang

2017 Copyright MG

Genre:  Humorous Coming of Age Story

Grade Level: 3^rd - 7th

Reading Level: 4.7 (7 points) 256 pages

Publisher: Scholastic Press (June 27, 2017)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Readability: Easy to read and funny!

MHL Division: Division 1 or Crossover

Summary: 
In 1983, seventh-grader David Da-Wei Horowitz is caught in the middle of cultures, friends, and growing up as a Chinese Jewish American.

I think this book a great contender for our Maud Hart Lovelace list. It is funny and yet touches on issues that middle grade kids face. It also includes diversity. Adults will be particularly entertained by the cultural references to the early 80’s. 

The main character, David is part Chinese and part Jewish. Picture the two TV shows The Goldbergs and Fresh Off the Boat and you get an idea of how this book rolls. There is a clash between two feisty grandmothers from each culture who are also very funny. David deals with friendship, first love, and the scary situation of the Cold War with The Soviet Union and The United States and nuclear war possibilities. Take Away: Growing up in the 80’s is a lot like growing up in many other decades including this one. 

The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen

Adult Read

Genre:  Nonfiction

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Readability: Fascinating to read about Finland’s society. I couldn't put it down.

Anu Partanen is a Finnish Journalist who met an American, fell in love and eventually married and moved to America in 2008. She writes this book as her commentary on the contrast between life in the United States versus Finland and the other Nordic countries. However, her focus is usually Finnish.

She covers the topics of family values, education, healthcare, business, employers and employees, government, and citizens. A phrase she uses many times during this book is the phrase “the Nordic theory of love.” Many of the decisions made by society are based on this theory.

As I read this book, it made me want to visit Finland even more than I already do.  She does talk about characteristics of the Finnish people that I think may still exist in my family today. It is fun to think about anyway.  She does paint a picture of how much greater the Finnish way of life is and wonders why Americans don’t progress forward. But, she also acknowledges that the people she has met in America, despite their difficulties in life, embrace it fully and are friendly, welcoming, and positive.

This book was a fun read for me and I found a lot of connections. I especially enjoyed reading about Finnish education.  

Webster: Tale of an Outlaw by Ellen Emerson White

2018-2019 Maud Hart Lovelace Reading List

Genre:  Animal Story

Grade Level: 3^rd- 7th

Reading Level: 4.7 (7 points) 256 pages

Publisher: Aladdin (November 3, 2015)

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Readability: Easy to read, funny, and heart warming!

MHL Division: Division 1 or Crossover

Summary:

When Webster the dog arrives at Green Meadows Farm, he has already been adopted, mistreated, and given away three times and is done with people, but the other animals at the shelter will not let him give up on the possibility of a special family. 

This is a true animal lover’s story about a black lab who has been mistreated and ends up at a very loving rescue animal farm for cats and dogs. However, Webster doesn’t think he is going to trust anyone again and tries to set off on his own as a tough dog. He even takes on the name The Bad Hat. As he escapes out of the shelter other animals come with him but always return to the farm. In fact, so does Webster where he begins to enjoy the company of his new friends and the late-night movie watching tradition. But, he always leaves again to try and make it on his own. Along the way, funny rescues happen. I begin thinking that Webster was kind of an accidental Superman in animal form. 

I recommend this book as a read aloud for teachers or a great read for any animal lover!  It is a feel good story and a great book to encourage adoption of rescue dogs. 

The Light Keeper's Legacy by Kathleen Ernst

 

Adult Read

Genre:  Mystery

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Readability: Fun to read since I visited this lighthouse.

The setting for this book is Rock Island which is above the tip of Door County, Wisconsin.  This summer I vacationed in Door County and did a day trip to Washington Island by ferry.  From Washington Island, you can take a small boat to the Rock Island State Park which is a primitive island for camping or day trippers.  There is also a historical light house that you can tour that is led by volunteer docents.  While I was visiting, I took a tour of this lighthouse.  I am glad I did, because the book was set on this location.

The time setting is 1982 with flashbacks to the late 1900’s when the lighthouse was operational and families lived on the island.  Chloe Ellefson

is a museum curator who is consulting with the committee which is restoring the historic lighthouse. She encounters a dead body and sets out to solve the mystery. As she researches the island, she finds out about the women who lived on the island in the past. The flashbacks are the stories about these women. Chloe begins see connections between the past and the present day lighthouse and mystery.

I just loved reading this after I had visited the island. I could picture everything so clearly! It was an interesting mystery because the author also presented another historical fiction story with an interesting twist.  Great read and essential if you visit Rock Island!

This book is part of mystery series with Chloe Ellefson solving mysteries with some history and a little romance.  Not too graphic but there are a few swear words. 

Two Naomis by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich and Audrey Vernick

2018-2019 Maud Hart Lovelace Reading List

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: 4th-6^th

Reading Level: 4.3 (7 points) 208 pages

Publisher: Balzer + Bray (September 13, 2016)

My Rating: 3 out of 4

Readability: Easy to read story about modern preteen girls.

MHL Division: Division 1 

Summary: 
Other than their first names, Naomi Marie and Naomi Edith are sure they have nothing in common, and they wouldn't mind keeping it that way, until their divorced parents begin to date.

Naomi and Naomi have the same names and are the same ages and now their parents are dating! Neither one of them are excited about becoming best friends but their parents enroll them in a tech class to foster a new friendship. It doesn’t go so well and each one of them have reservations of their families becoming blended one.  There is also the added twist in that one Naomi is African American and the other one is white, yet this is not the main theme of book.

This is a good book and perfectly good book to recommend to girls.  I did not leave this book thinking that it was the best read or really inspired. However, I think this will fit the bill for many students. 

What Should I Read Next Podcast

What Should I Read Next - Modern Mrs. Darcy

I have another podcast to recommend today.  Anne Bogel has a weekly podcast where she interviews readers about their book interests and then recommends new books for them.  Throughout the interview lots of book titles are discussed! I have to say, sometimes the readers she interviews have book interests that are way out of my style of reading, however, I love the discussions. Anne has a wonderful voice which I think is perfect for audio. 

Anne also has a website called Modern Mrs. Darcy. I also noticed that she has a book club with lots of suggested titles for each month.  If you want to join this online book club, it is 10.00 a month. However, the suggested list of books are free! Since I would like to read a few more adult books, this might be a nice go to list of suggestions as well.  So, give this podcast a try! I have gotten hooked.

Young House Love Has a Podcast

http://www.younghouselove.com/category/podcast/

Today I am recommending a podcast!  I have been doing some painting in a couple bathrooms including the cabinets and so I discovered that listening to podcasts keep me entertained.  I use my ipad and then listen with a wireless headset that pairs to the ipad with bluetooth. Works great!

Young House Love has a blog which I used to read occasionally. It is about a young couple who do DIY projects on their home. It eventually became a full-time job for them along with writing a couple of books and becoming well known in the blogging and home improvement world.  They slowed down their blogging to pursue other projects.  I discovered that they are now doing a weekly podcast show.  Today they are on week #57.

I love listening to John and Sherry! They are funny and light hearted and I find myself laughing aloud at their conversations.  Sometimes they have guests to interview or they answer fan mail questions. Other shows deal with their current DIY projects and advice they can give from going through a project. They are down to earth, don't take themselves to seriously, and are always ready for challenges because they do like to be frugal!

Each show is about 40 minutes long and I have been listening to them week by week and back to back.  I haven't listened to them all, but I have spent hours in their company as I have been doing my own DIY projects. Give them a try!