Eight Keys

I absolutely love books about relationships, growing up, and overcoming losses in the characters’ lives. Eight Keys by Suzanne Lafleur is my kind of book. I am so thankful that some of my sixth graders kept telling me that I needed to read it. Elise and Franklin have been friends for years. It has always been easy for them to find ways to keep themselves entertained. When the two begin their first year at a big middle school, things begin to change between them. Elise is bullied by a girl named Amanda from the very first day. She feels like her friendship with Franklin doesn’t help the situation. Elise’s mother died giving birth to her and her father died a few years after that from cancer. Her father’s older brother and his wife have raised Elise in a warm house in the country with a huge barn. Her father wrote her a letter for each of her birthdays through the age of twelve. After her twelfth birthday, she discovers keys, one at a time, which will open eight locked doors in the second floor of the barn. Each room, her father’s final gifts, will change her life forever. Read this book to understand what it truly means to be a friend. Eight Keys is going on my 6th Grade Reading List next year. Another great book by Suzanne Lafleur is Love, Aubrey.

Divergent

Divergent, Veronica Roth’s debut novel, is the ultimate dystopian novel. In this futuristic world, people must belong to one of five factions: Abnegation (value selflessness), Amity (value peacefulness), Candor (value honesty), Dauntless (value braveness), and Erudite (value intelligence). Beatrice, her brother Caleb, and all the other sixteen-year-olds in their class must decide which faction they will belong to at the upcoming Choosing Ceremony. Beatrice and Caleb have been raised in an Abnegation family – to choose otherwise would kill their father. Prior to making their decision, all the teens making their choice must attend an aptitude test to see what their best match is. Beatrice’s aptitude test gives conflicting results and she is told she is divergent and must keep that a secret from everyone. Making the choice is only the beginning; recruits must then compete in deadly battles against strong opponents for positions within their faction and could still be cast out into society and labeled as factionless. Beatrice must make some difficult choices including where her loyalty lies – with her family or with her faction. Divergent, the perfect blend of action, suspense, and romance, is on the Texas Lone Star Reading List 2012-13. I recommend it for 8th grade and up. This is a great read for Hunger Games and Matched fans.

Middle School, The Worst Years of my Life

Middle School, The Worst Years of my Life by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts is a humorous story about a troubled middle school kid named Rafe. For good reason, many authors are following Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid format – chapters with cartoons throughout. The kids love books like these! Cartoonist Laura Park creatively illustrates this story. Rafe narrates his story and often draws the reader in by asking reflective questions. Rafe’s home life is the worst. He and his younger sister, Georgia, hardly see their hardworking mother while her low-life, live-in boyfriend sits on their couch and watches television all day. On the first day of middle school, the vice principal boringly discusses each rule in the Code of Conduct handbook with all the students. Rafe, negatively influenced by a boy named Leo, decides the only way he will survive this school year is if he creates a game in which he scores points for breaking all of the rules discussed. Will Rafe learn the best way to fit in at his middle school or will the consequences of his bad behavior crash down on him? Reviews I read about this book were either 5 stars (the kids love it) or 1 star (I am assuming the adults due to the deviant behavior)…I am somewhere in the middle. To me, there is still nothing quite like The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Other great books by James Patterson include the Maximum Ride and Daniel X series – both are great for reluctant reader because of the action packed storylines and short chapters.

A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and inspired by the late Siobhan Dowd is a moving novel that will take you on a boy’s emotional journey. It is on the Texas Lone Star Reading List 2012-13. Thirteen-year-old Conor keeps having the same nightmare. At 12:07 a.m. he awakens to see a monster calling to him outside his window. The monster is none other than the great yew tree in his backyard that his mother frequently commented on. Although the monster is large, frightening, and forceful; Conor isn’t afraid. His mother is battling cancer. His father has started a new life in America with a new wife and baby. To make matters worse his grandmother is making him stay at her house while his mother undergoes another ravaging cancer treatment. Conor feels as though others do not see him and feel sorry for him because of his mother’s illness. He just wants to be like the other kids. The monster says that he will continue to visit Conor until he has shared three stories with him and that Conor will tell him the fourth story. The stories are disturbing and unlike any that Conor has heard before. What is Conor’s story? Life is tough and I cannot imagine a tougher situation than the one Conor is experiencing. You need a box of Kleenex to read this one. All I can say is when I was finished…I was speechless.

No Passengers Beyond This Point

No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko is a fantasy novel that keeps the reader guessing as to what outrageous thing could possibly happen next. Siblings – Finn, India, and Mouse – find out that their mother has lost their home due to financial problems and is sending them to live with their Uncle Red until she can finish her job and meet up with them. Unhappily, the kids get on the plane to their new destination. Each kid has unique characteristics that cause conflict between them. Finn is the man of the house since their father died when Mouse was being born. He is the conscientious one who worries about his mother and their situation. India is the social one who lets her friends get their way no matter the cost. Mouse is the scientific type that has to analyze each situation. The trio soon find themselves in a strange welcoming place that appreciates all the things they each value. Why would they ever want to leave a place like that? When things spiral downward, they each realize they only have a certain amount of time to come together and get back to the place they belong. I love that the book is told from each sibling’s point of view. Other great books by Choldenko include Al Capone Does my Shirts, Al Capone Shines my Shoes, A Tree Falls at Lunch Period, and Notes from a Liar and her Dog.

A Dog's Purpose

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron will appeal to readers of all ages. I was encouraged to read this book by one of my advanced sixth grade readers in my school’s book club. It is also the book club selection for February for my adult book club. The story is narrated by a dog that keeps being reincarnated and wonders if this is happening because he still hasn’t found his purpose in life. The story started off a little slow for me as the newborn puppy is describing his life in his litter and the interactions of the other dogs around him…not as much human contact or people-storyline at first. After he is reborn a second time, the story quickly picked up for me. The dog is reincarnated into a different breed of dog each time and draws on his experiences from past lives to make wise choices and help others in need. Near the end of the book, the dog is a little disgruntled that he has to live again when he feels like he has already served his purpose and is tired and not excited about having to make new attachments once again. He has already loved a boy and served in a special canine unit to save lives. What more could there be? I am recommending this book to all dog lovers. When you finish this book, you will not look at your pet the same way.

Wonderstruck

I am absolutely wonderstruck, amazed, blown away (you get the point) by Brian Selznick’s latest novel, Wonderstruck. I see this getting either the Caldecott or Newbery award. I am a huge fan of Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret; this one is even better! Selznick creatively tells two stories set fifty years apart. Rose’s story begins in New Jersey in 1927 and is told through remarkable illustrations. Ben’s story begins in Minnesota in 1977 and is told through text. Rose, a deaf girl tired of being locked away from the world, heads to New York City in hopes of finding the one person who can save her. Ben, a boy who recently lost his mother and loves to collect things, finds clues that may help him find the father he has never known. His search leads him to New York and the American Museum of Natural History. You must read this book to see how Selznick magically brings the two characters together and takes his readers to the must-see sites of New York City during that time. You will be wonderstruck as well!