Wonderful Trilogy

Everlost by Neal Shusterman




Recommended by my children literature book group on goodreads. Lots of amazing reviews. Older @2006, but apparently worth it . Have you read this? I remember this being at the bookfair. Will check to see if we can get the series.

This is a Trilogy.

. EVERLOST . EVERWILD
EVERFOUND

View all my reviews

Swindle by Gordon Korman

Check out this Winner of 2011 William Allen White award for grades 3-5.
FUN!! A page turning adventure of revenge.

Click on this link--> BOOKTALK VIDEO

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

The Boy Who Dared Booktalk | Scholastic.com this is the link

This is the Winner of the 2011 William Allen White Award. Click on link to see a booktalk on this book. Amazing!

This author will attend the William Allen White awards on Sept 24th awards in Emporia, KS

Great Death

The Great Death by John E. Smelcer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Historical Fiction. An extremely fast read. Only 166 pages

Great Death was the near decimation of the Alaskan natives at the turn of the 20th century due to contact with white people. According to the author nearly 2/3 of the Alaskan Natives were killed by measles, flu, and small pox.

Two sisters are the only survivors left in their remote village. They travel down the river to find other survivors. Short on details and not much action. Not sure students will be able to grasp the full impact of the intense scenes of death. There was not enough emotional development with the characters. The ending leaves you wondering about how the girls will be received since prior contact with "white" people had been so negative, when they met a trapper along the way and the elder sister was attacked.. Best for older students due to near rape.

WAW nomination 2012. Felt like this could have been better, author has some interruptions in the flow to explain some aspects of the wilderness.



View all my reviews

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Okay. . Adventure

Ready for the movie and upcoming craze for this title. This one is an old fashioned silly read written in 1938, when children were less hardened and knowledgeable about the world. There is a complete lack of realism that will appeal to young children. I think students will love to pretend and create their own fantasies about zany pets.

Mr Popper is an ordinary housepainter who dreams about traveling the world, especially The South Pole. He is an avid reader and quite knowledgeable about penguins. He receives a penguin from Admiral Drake for sending a letter and the zany adventures begin as he tries to care for his penguin. Mr Popper's wife is a stereotypical wife of the forties. This is something to explain since she is rather drab and mindless about so many problems that come up, but then this is not supposed to make sense... It is fantasy.



View all my reviews

Operation Yes

Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Did not expect to like this book since I thought it had to do with military life. However it is less about military than life in a school with an inspiring new teacher, Ms Loupe. Students living on base and going to a dilapidated old school learn about improv theater and cover their sixth grade curriculum until tragedy strikes their teacher's family. Students then use what they have learned to pull together and create a huge project to raise money for wounded soldiers. A good story to lead to discussions about relationships, consequences, and how families cope with members in the military.

Recommend to grades 5-8.



View all my reviews

Notes From the Dog by Gary Paulsen

Notes from the Dog by Gary Paulsen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Great story. A sensitive young college grad student moves in next door to house sit and befriends the two boys living next door and changes their summer and lives in the process. Told from the perspective of Finn the preteen bookworm who finds engaging in conversation painful. The boys get involved with Johann and her fight against breast cancer and her dream of raising money in the triathlon for cancer awareness. not much action in this story more of an issue and relationship story.



View all my reviews