The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Adam Rex is a humorous read that will appeal to upper elementary to middle school students. It is on the Texas Bluebonnet List 2011-12. Steve Brixton has always enjoyed reading the Bailey Brothers Mystery series and The Bailey Brothers’ Detective Handbook. He knows exactly what it takes to be a private detective. On a Friday, his favorite teacher suddenly assigns a research project due on Monday. He draws the topic of early American Needlework. Steve heads to the library to find a book to help him with his research. Of course I especially love this book, because the chaos that ensues is connected with the secret society of librarians. As soon as Steve checks out the book, An Illustrated History of American Quilting, an alarm sounds and a group dressed in all black is after him. This highly skilled group of librarians thinks that Steve is working for someone else to steal the treasured Maguffin Quilt. Will Steve be able to solve the mystery and get these forceful librarians off his back? Click on the book trailer below for more information.

The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children

The Witch’s Guide to Cooking with Children written by Keith McGowan and illustrated by Yoko Tanaka is on the Texas Bluebonnet Reading List 2011-12. This entertaining read, reminiscent of the Grimm fairy tale – Hansel and Gretel, will appeal to upper elementary students. Sol and his little sister, Connie, have moved into a new house with their father and stepmother. Unbeknownst to them, their father and stepmother are scheming to get rid of them. Sol is very smart and loves everything about science. Connie may not be as intelligent as her brother, but she is street-smart and can take care of herself. The pair figure out early on who the witch in the neighborhood is and try to stay out of her clutches. Sol researches clues at the local library. I appreciated the way McGowan made the library a focal point…even found the evil librarian to be quite humorous. The only thing I was hoping for was someone to rescue the kids. Read this quick read to find out if Sol and Connie are able to stay out of the witch’s kitchen.

The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows (Vol 1)

The Shadows is the first book in Jacqueline West's The Books of Elsewhere series.The first sentence of the book reads: "Ms. McMartin was definitely dead." Olive Dunwoody, the only child of two smart mathematicians, is looking forward to exploring the old house her family has just purchased. You guessed it...this was the very house that Ms. McMartin had died in. The old house is full of antiques and art, so different from the plain apartments they have lived in before. As Olive is looking at one of the paintings, she sees a shadow moving within it. Her eyes must be playing tricks on her! Later she finds spectacles that enable her to travel into the paintings on the wall. She soon discovers a lost boy, talking cats, and dangerous spirits. The original owner of the house, the late Aldous McMartin wants his house back and he will stop at nothing to get it. Although I first labeled this as a fantasy, I quickly changed my mind as it has just enough frightening elements and suspense to make it horror/suspense for upper elementary through middle school. This is on the Texas Bluebonnet Reading List 2011-12. This would be a great recommendation for someone looking for a "scary" book. Check out the book trailer from Penguin Group USA.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

I have multiple copies of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger and they have been flying off my shelves. No sooner do I shelve a copy, an eager patron snatches it off the shelf. I had to place a hold for myself to be able to read this entertaining, humorous book over the holidays. It is told in multiple stories by middle schoolers who are asking advice from an Origami Yoda. The nerdiest kid at school, Dwight, has created a finger puppet, Origami Yoda, who answers questions in Yoda-like dialogue. At first, the students are skeptical…it has to be Dwight giving the advice. Things start to change when the students realize that there are just some things that Dwight couldn’t have known. The text is easy to read and the book has illustrations as well. Instructions for creating your own Origami Yoda are at the end of this quick read. This is a good book recommendation for those readers who have read Jeff Kinney’s entire Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and haven’t found another “great” book to read. The video below is the author showing you how to make your own Origami Yoda. In addition, this is on the Texas Bluebonnet Reading List 2011-12.