Flebrain Loves Franny

Title: Fleabrain Loves Franny
Author: Joanne Rocklin


Awards 
Bank Street Children's Books "Best Books of the Year," Fiction Ages 9-12
Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Older Readers

"Heartwarming and endlessly funny, Fleabrain Loves Franny will delight readers of all ages. Rocklin’s sharp wit and exuberant writing style are refreshing. This book is not to be missed."
--VOYA

"Franny—a compassionate, thoughtful and sympathetic protagonist—is believably erratic in her emotions and reflections on her illness and its effects on her previously carefree life."
--Publishers Weekly

"Rocklin perfectly captures the era of 1952 and creates a sympathetic, realistic character in Franny, who begins to accept her condition, rejoin her friends and even protest her school’s inaccessibility."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Comedic and philosophical, readers will find multiple levels to enjoy."
--School Library Journal

The Fourteenth Goldfish

Title: The Fourteenth Goldfish
Author: Jennifer L Holm
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 978-0375870644

Publishers Weekly starred review, May 26, 2014:“This is top-notch middle-grade fiction with a meaty dilemma, humor, and an ending that leaves room for the possibility of a sequel. “

Booklist starred review, July 1, 2014:"A great choice for book groups and class discussions as well as individual reading."

New York Times Books Review, August 24, 2014:
"“Youth, old age, life, death, love, possibilities, and – oh yes – goldfish all come together in this warm, witty and wise novel.”

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, September 2014:
"Holm’s writing is crisp, accessible, and well paced, and her enthusiasm for science and its impact emerges clearly and consistently but not overbearingly, with clear, appreciative nods to the world of theater and its purpose in our lives. Indeed, this novel explores weighty elements of human existence with a light touch, allowing readers to engage with the issues at multiple levels; an excellent appendix of recommended readings encourages exploration and dialogue. This novel would make an ideal classroom read aloud, particularly to expose students to the rich and rewarding STEM fields."

Bad Kitty Drawn to Trouble- Nick Bruel

Title: Bad Kitty Drawn to Trouble
Author: Nick Bruel
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
ISBN: 1626721173

This is an interesting Bad Kitty book. The series is very popular among first and second grade students. This book goes through the writing process in a fun and engaging way. One feature I appreciated was Bruel placed a glossary at the back of the book. All the words in the glossary were starred in the text itself. This gave the reader a reference point for the writing and story terms. 

From School Library Journal

Gr 2–4—In this seventh installment in the series, readers are introduced to the process of writing and illustrating a book in a fun and humorous way. Bruel employs his signature style of addressing readers directly; he begins the book with a step-by-step demonstration of how to draw Bad Kitty and moves on to describe the necessary ingredients of a successful story. Through the process of describing story elements such as protagonist, antagonist, and conflict, the author creates some scenarios that Kitty finds objectionable (most notably, an all-turnip diet), but eventually she convinces him to rewrite the story in her favor. Many of the usual secondary characters (Uncle Murray, Puppy, Strange Kitty, etc.) make an appearance in this volume, and there are some unexpected additions, including a zombie, a giant octopus, and a talking turnip named Terry. Bruel makes no attempt to hide the fact that the intent of this book is to teach readers how to write stories, but his informal writing style and hilarious illustrations make the lesson seem like a fun opportunity rather than a chore. Fans of the naughty feline will not be disappointed by this new volume, and when they finish reading it, they will have the tools, along with the encouragement of Bruel himself, to create their own Bad Kitty-inspired adventures.—Sarah Reid, Broome County Public Library, Binghamton, NY --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Sisters- Raina Telgemeier

Title: Sisters
Author: Raina Telgemeier
Publisher: Scholastic 
Date of Publication: Aug 26 2014

Plot and Review:

Raina always wanted a younger sister. She thought about it for years but when her wish finally came true, it wasn't as exciting as she previously thought. Dealing with the wants and emotions of a little sister can be difficult but nothing a little music cant fix. Things go sour when the family takes a week long car trip to visit cousins. Will sisters stick together or not? 

This book was an easy read with a flowing story. The storyline flows from present to past easilyand the reader is not confused. This book brings together a family that may be falling apart slowly. It shows the importance of the people you spend your days with. It is well written and once again, Telgemeir writes a relevant story for preteens trying to find where they fit in the world.

What We Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World- Henry Clark

Title What we Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World
Author: Henry Clark
ISBN 9780316206662

Review:  This is an adventure that the reader wont easily forget. Three friends River, Freak and Fiona find a beat up sofa near their bus stop. They find many oddities in the sofa but the most interesting object is a rare green crayon. One thing leads to another and the three end up finding out that things aren't always as they seem. With the help of a cat, a domino with intellect and an odd neighbor, can these three save the world from a menacing billionaire?

The adventure is non stop. This is a book that will appeal to reluctant readers as well as avid readers. The character development is adequate, but the action is full of life.

Pi in the Sky- Wendy Mass

Title: Pi in the Sky
Author: Wendy Mass
Publisher: Little, Brown Books
ISBN: 978-0316089166
Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Wendy Mass writes with a flow that makes the reader just continue to read. Joss is a likable character from the first page and his adventures keep everything intriguing. I liked that at the beginning of the book, Mass explains what we know about Dark Matter and how she created her world in this Dark Matter. It sets the reader up for success when reading the book. There are science terms and concepts in this book which could encourage further research. The adventure, friendship and science together make an amazing book! The students I have talked to about this book are excited for our order to come in. 

The Boy on the Porch-

Title: The Boy on the Porch
Author: Sharon Creech
Publisher: Joanna Cotler Books
ISBN: 9780061892356

Review:
This book is wonderful! The chapters are short so even the most reluctant readers could enjoy this book easily. The boy is found sleeping on a young couple's porch. This could be the start of many stories over the years but this boy does not seem to have the ability to speak. Instead, he taps on everything around him. He seems to relate to animals more than humans and quickly bonds with the animals on the farm. What can they do with this child? Can he stay? Where did he come from? There are so many things to find out, and yet, sometimes the most important thing is to live and love. This book brings a very real situation to the surface and yet does it with a positive and gentle outlook. I would recommend this to adults and children alike.

Love That Dog- Sharon Creech

Title: Love That Dog
Author: Sharon Creech
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 0439442427

Plot and Review:

This book has been on my list to read for a while and I do not know why I did not just crack it open sooner. It is a fast read and yet so full of interesting things to think about and relate to that sometimes the reader simply wants to stop and think. At first, I was not sure about this book because of the many references to the various famous poems used in class. All these poems are in an appendix in the back of the book which makes it a wonderful teaching tool. The reader can make the connections from the famous poems to those written by Jack, the narrator of the book. Jack is not sure about his writing skills at the beginning and he slowly comes into his own. He finds his voice as the excerpt on the back of the book tells us. I highly recommend this book to feel good and to explore the ideas of finding your own thoughts. Anyone can write. 

Lotus Lane #1: Kiki: My Style

Title: Kiki: My Style

Author: Kyla May
ISBN: 978-0545445122
Publisher: Scholastic
Lexile: AD640L
Interest Level: 6-9 years

Plot and Review: 

This is a fun book about a girl Kiki who has a love of fashion as well as a love of life. This is her journal. It has pictures, text bubbles, and is written in a conversational tone. Kiki starts her journal off around picture day. She tells us what is going on with her life and her friends. Picking outfits, having events with the Lotus Lane girls and managing school and her social life keeps Kiki very busy. This is the fist book in a series so if you like this one, check out the others.