Notes from an Accidental Band Geek

Notes from an Accidental Band Geek, Erin Dionne’s latest entertaining middle grade read, is on the Texas Lone Star Reading List 2012-13. Elsie, a gifted French horn player, has always strived to be the youngest person in her family to make the Shining Birches, an elite music camp. It is a requirement for her to be part of a musical ensemble prior to auditioning for the Shining Birches. Elsie, younger than other students starting high school, has to join the marching band because a family conflict made her unable to audition for the Boston Youth Orchestra. The chaos of the first day of marching band practice sends Elsie into a spiral of doom, especially when she learns that she must play a mellophone instead of her beloved French horn. Things are much tougher in marching band than Elsie could have ever imagined. In order to prepare for the Shining Birches audition, Elsie must spend hours of her free time practicing her French horn. What will Elsie do when her band friends invite her to hang out after practices and games? Will Elsie prove to herself and her father that she is as talented as her father, lead French horn player in the Boston Symphony? Erin Dionne does a fabulous job of capturing the camaraderie and dedication of high school marching band in this fun book. Other great books by Dionne include Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies and The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet.

Guys Read: Funny Business

Guys (and some adventurous girls) are going to want to read this one, Guys Read: Funny Business, edited by Jon Scieszka. Ten short humorous stories written by some of your favorite authors (Mac Barnett, Eoin Colfer, Christopher Paul Curtis, Kate DiCamillo & Jon Scieszka, Paul Feig, Jack Gantos, Jeff Kinney, David Lubar, Adam Rex, and David Yoo) and illustrated by Adam Rex. The purpose of Guys Read is to instill a love of reading in boys that will last a lifetime. Funny Business is the first volume in the Guys Read Library. Storylines include the inspiration behind Artemis Fowl, a killer turkey, a grumpy grandpa with unbelievable childhood stories, and a deadly wart. Click on the video below to hear the authors tell “The Joke” which also happens to be the foreword of Funny Business. The second volume of the Guys Read Library is Guys Read: Thriller.

Paintings from the Cave: Three Novellas

Paintings from the Cave: Three Novellas by Gary Paulsen is a moving collection of three separate stories about kids having to rely on themselves just to survive. These kids represent the many children in our world who don’t have shelter, food, family, security, or, many times, loving relationships. I ordered multiple copies of this book for my middle school library prior to reading it, because my students eat up Gary Paulsen’s books. While awaiting my order, I downloaded the ebook from the public library. Imagine my excitement in reading the dedication given to Teri Lesesne (my awesome college professor), Kylene Beers (another advocate for struggling readers), teachers and librarians like them. I was then brought to tears in reading – A Note from the Author. Take the time to read it by clicking on the Kids@Random link attached to the title of this book, then clicking on book preview. Gary Paulsen understands – he has lived to tell about it. This book should be a mandatory read for all who work with at-risk children. Teachers, librarians, and anyone working in education will be reminded of what some children go home to each night; therefore, we must make the difference for them each and every day. Students will appreciate Paulsen’s sincere portrayal of the tough stuff some endure.

Silhouetted by the Blue

Silhouetted by the Blue by Traci L. Jones, Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winning author of Standing Against the Wind (another one of my favorites), is about a family struggling to cope with the loss of their wife/mother from a tragic car accident. Serena, a seventh grader, has been chosen to be the lead performer in her school production of The Wiz. Sadly, Serena’s little brother, Henry, is being left out at school by kids who don’t want to catch the “dead mommy cooties” from him. This causes Henry to act out and get in trouble at school. Their father is blue – won’t get out of his pajamas, won’t shop for groceries, doesn’t participate in life at all. Serena is burdened with her own grief, having to be responsible for Henry and running the household, and trying to keep up with her own busy middle school life. I appreciate that in both Standing Against the Wind and Silhouetted by the Blue, Jones gives us a great male role model who steps up to help the female protagonist. Elijah, Serena’s classmate, is the nice guy at school who comes to the rescue so many times and truly cares about her. Why is her father giving away items that have been so important to him? Will Serena finally ask for help when she can no longer balance things at home and at school? Read Silhouetted by the Blue to find out.

Baseball Great

Josh is excited about playing baseball for his school. The school reporter, Jaden, has built a lot of hype about his baseball skills in an article she wrote for the school newspaper. Unfortunately, his father, a former minor league player, yanks him off the team during the first practice. Josh’s father signs him up to try out for the Titans, a team made up of older, stronger guys who worry each and every day that they could easily be replaced by someone better. The Titans are coached by a businessman named Rocky Valentine who believes that the boys must take supplements, lift weights, and work harder than ever to be successful. The pressure of being the best causes boys on the team to make harmful decisions. When Josh and Jaden put two and two together, they have a difficult decision to make – one that can cost them everything. I was encouraged to read Tim Green’s Baseball Great by one of my seventh grade students. Reluctant readers will like the suspenseful storyline and brief chapters. Other great books by Tim Green include Football Genius, Football Hero, Football Champ, Rivals, and Deep Zone. Click on the video below to hear the author explain how both sports and writing require hard work and dedication.

Tiger's Curse

Colleen Houck’s Tiger’s Curse (book #1) was a book that kept being recommended in various reading circles (middle school, high school, and adults). This fantasy romance is one that will keep many people talking. The book starts off with a prologue…300 years ago, an evil man in the pursuit of powerful amulets pits brother against brother in a duel for the love of a beautiful princess – the result is a powerful, cruel curse. Chapter one begins; Kelsey, who recently lost both of her parents in a terrible accident, finds a job with a traveling circus. Once she begins she immediately becomes enamored by the beautiful white tiger that she helps take care of. She is soon offered the opportunity to travel to India with the tiger to help him transition to a new wildlife preserve. Kelsey learns that the magnificent white tiger with the striking blue eyes is really a handsome prince named Ren who has been under a curse for hundreds of years. He believes she can save him. The two must endure dangers, his dark brother, and their own insecurities in order to save him. This novel has just the right history, romance, and magic to keep readers wanting to read the second novel, Tiger’s Quest. Recommended for 8th graders and above.

True (...sort of)

I had been waiting a long time for Katherine Hannigan to write another book after Ida B(one of my favorite reads). Imagine my excitement when I opened up my Junior Library Guild selection of the month - True(...sort of)! I loved this book as much as her first novel. The storyline centers on three unique characters. Delly has been in trouble her entire life. The whole town knows she is trouble. She has created her own vocabulary to get through her "dellyventure"-ous life. Brud goes to a private school in town and he loves playing basketball more than anything. He knows that his mouth will never work as fast as his brain wants the words to come out. Delly's and Brud's lives will change when a scrawny, pale girl named Ferris moves into town. Ferris, easily mistaken for a boy, doesn't talk and she has one rule - no one is allowed to touch her. Read True(...sort of) to find out how Delly and Brud become part of Ferris's life when she doesn't even say a word. Although this book will move you to tears, you will celebrate along with characters when their lives change for the better. This is a book you will want to share with others! If you haven't read Ida B (Hannigan's first novel), what are you waiting for?
Click on the video below to listen to the author tell you about her touching book.