Crossover Kwame Alexander 3.5 Stars Josh Bell loves a lot of things, but basketball is something he loves more than anything. He also loves poetry and writing and words. So when Josh “Filthy McNasty” finds that life is starting to get a little more complicated than your average layup, he turns to writing to…
Brown Girl Dreaming Jacqueline Woodson 4 Stars Jacqueline Woodson let’s us in on some of her memories of growing up in Ohio, South Carolina, and New York. These memories are told in free verse poems which in turn showcase the amazing voice that the young Jacqueline is just learning to discover in the book. With…
Locomotive Brian Floca 4 Stars This is a fun look at what transcontinental railroad travel was like in 1869. I love seeing the illustrations of what the locomotives and train cars were like back then. And the way that the information is given through the text is fun (some words are added here or there…
Island of the Blue Dolphins Scott O’Dell illustrated by Ted Lewin Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990 ISBN: 0-395-53680-4 FORMAT: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Newbery Award AGES: Elementary School 3.5 Stars This is the story of Karana, a girl who lived on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. When some hunters come to hunt the otters that live…
The One and Only Ivan Katherine Applegate illustrations by Patricia Castelao HarperCollins, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-06-199225-4 FORMAT: Juvenile Fiction AGES: Elementary School, Middle School 3 Stars Ivan is a silver-back gorilla that lives in a mall. Mack, his owner is a bit frustrated that business isn’t going quite so well. But Ivan isn’t angry about the…
Young Jack Gantos is grounded for the summer. His mom grounded him because he followed his dad’s instructions to mow down the plot of corn. His dad grounded him because he shot off a Japanese riffle that was loaded (even though Jack didn’t load it) and he wasn’t supposed to. Now his only “get out…
Cullen has had one awful summer. First of all his cousin dies and he has to identify the body. Then this stranger claims to have seen a Lazarus woodpecker which was last seen decades ago. Then his brother disappears. And to top it all off, he is stuck in the small town of Lily, Arkansas…
When Jane was a little girl she had a stuffed animal (a chimpanzee) named Jubilee. This sweet picture book shows the scientific curiosity that the young Jane Goodall had to observe nature and life around her. The illustrations of the main story are interesting, but just as interesting are the drawings of animals, plants, ships…
It is that time of year again, when the American Library Association (ALA) gives out their awards. For a full listing of what books won awards today, check out the ALA News link. Here is a list of some of the books that will go on my to-read list. Enjoy! John Newbery Medal winner (children’s…
I have a friend who told me this was an amazing book. She was right. I had it on hold before it won the ALA Newbery Award. There was a long hold list even then. (Now that hold list is even longer.) I’m glad my friend told me about it last September so that I…