Hidden

Hidden by Helen Frost is told in poetry format (novel in verse – a popular genre in my library) by the alternating voices of Wren and Darra. Wren and Darra first saw each other when they were eight-years-old in the most unusual of circumstances. Wren’s mother left her in the backseat of her car while she quickly paid for gas. Darra’s father stole the car and parked it in his garage, not knowing that Wren was hiding in the backseat. Darra knows that Wren is hiding in the garage. That fateful night changed both girls forever. The story continues when the girls are fourteen-years-old and meet once again at an elite summer camp. Before long, the girls must face each other and the burdens of their last meeting. Will Wren blame Darra for who her father is? Can Darra forgive Wren for taking her father away? I love that Helen Frost also gives her readers more of Darra’s feelings by including her thoughts – readers only need to read the last word of each long line down the page (in Darra’s narrative) to understand how she feels about her father and what she went through that horrible night. Other outstanding novels in verse by Helen Frost include Crossing Stones and Diamond Willow.

Take Me to the River

Will Hobbs knows how to take his readers into the harshest elements of nature and keep them on the edge of their seats. His most recent novel, Take Me to the River, is about cousins who decide to go ahead and travel down the Rio Grande by canoe and raft even though there is not an adult available to go on the adventure with them. Dylan and Rio are experienced paddlers, but do not anticipate the obstacles that will be in their way. Seeing six Black Hawk helicopters flying into Mexico should have been an indication that they needed to turn back. They are soon warned that Hurricane Dolly could be headed straight for them. The inclement weather is the least of their worries. Tensions between the drug cartel and peacekeepers of Mexico are at an all-time high and Americans have been warned to stay away from the Texas-Mexico border. What will happen when the boys, not wanting to miss an opportunity of a lifetime, stick with their original plans and head down the Rio Grande on a ten day boating adventure? Take Me to the River is on the Texas Lone Star Reading List 2012-13. Other great books by Will Hobbs include Go Big or Go Home, Crossing the Wire, Leaving Protection, Wild Man Island, Down the Yukon, Jason’s Gold, The Maze, Ghost Canoe, River Thunder, Far North, Kokopelli’s Flute, The Big Wander, Beardance, and Downriver. Click on the video below to hear from Will Hobbs.

Just Curious

I am currently reading Teri S. Lesesne's Reading Ladders. She has some awesome ideas. I thought I would ask a question I found in the book. Hope you have time to share your answers. If I get some feedback, I will post more questions in the future.

What is the best book you ever read?

The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale

Curious about what life was like in Victorian London? Want to be introduced to some famous authors of that time like Charles Dickens? You need to read The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright and illustrated by Barry Moser. This amusing story transports the reader to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese inn where the story is told through the relationships of its characters: a mouse named Pip who has learned to read and uses an enriched vocabulary, a friendly cat named Skilley who agrees to protect the mice in the inn while they protect his big secret, an injured raven named Maldwyn who once perched on the White Hill and would like nothing more than to return to his home, and a mean cat named Pinch who may ruin them all. Famous writers of that time frequent the inn. Charles Dickens intermittently chimes in and expresses the difficulty he has in writing the now famous first sentence in his Tale of Two Cities. It is evident that Deedy, Wright, and Moser put so much research into this story. I loved how the characters are named for characters in Dickens’ works and symbols of that time were used to enhance the storyline. A glossary of the challenging vocabulary words used in the story is included. A great supplement to this book is their amazing website which encourages participants to read more about old England and play games to see how much they have learned. This novel is on the Texas Bluebonnet Reading List 2012-13.

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.