I FUNNY by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein

Jamie Grimm is a funny kid. With the encouragement of his uncle Frankie, Jamie enters the Funniest Kid Comic contest. As he prepares his material - and his nerves - for the competition, Jamie is also dealing with his family (an aunt and uncle and cousins Jamie calls The Smileys because they are the most serious and stoic people he has ever met), a bully (one of the Smiley cousins), and life in a wheelchair.

This is not a book I would have chosen to read for myself, but it is one of the books in our Scholastic Book Fair, so I read it in order to talk with kids and families about it. I was pleasantly surprised. I am not a Patterson fan in general, although this book makes me want to try one of his other Middle School stories. But I do love Chris Grabenstein, so I was willing to give this a try. Jamie is a fantastic character - funny, observant, resilient. I was appalled by the behavior of his cousin and I was sad that no one seemed to notice how Jamie is being bullied. But Jamie's attitude and his friends are delightful. I am looking forward to sharing this story with my students this fall! I think they will love the jokes and the artwork in the book and hopefully they will also love Jamie's character, bravery and perseverance.

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 3.9

TIMMY FAILURE: Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis

Timmy Failure and his polar bear, Total, run the Total Failure, Inc. detective agency. Timmy is just certain that he will get his big break soon and his mom won't have to worry about bills any more. His big case at the moment, though, is finding out who stole the Failuremobile (his mom's Segway) - and he's pretty sure it's his nemesis, she-who-must-not-be-named.

This is a quirky story in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Dork Diaries or Big Nate with cartoon-ish illustrations to accompany the story. Frankly, I liked this better than the one Wimpy Kid book I have read, and I think it will be a hit with my students. Timmy is so completely earnest and completely clueless that he is endearing. The fact that his side kick is a polar bear is delightfully unusual. Check out Timmy's first story and keep an eye out for book 2, Timmy Failure Now Look What You've Done coming out in February 2014.

3.5 out of five stars
AR reading level: 3.8

Recommended for: Fans of Wimpy Kid or Big Nate or Dork Diaries, kids looking for funny stories, classroom and school libraries

CHAPTER BOOK: Athlete vs. Mathlete by W. C. Mack

Owen is the basketball star. He played on the 6th grade team and should be a shoe-in for the 7th grade team - except they have a new coach who wants everyone to try out again! How absurd! And, as if that isn't bad enough, the coach sees Russell in the hallway and says he has to try out, too. Who's Russell? Owen's genius twin brother. Sure, Russell is tall (They are fraternal twins), but he has NO basketball skills. He's going to be a laughingstock - and Owen is sure he will be too, by association. But Russell turns out to have a jump shot and a real role on the team. If Owen isn't the only athlete in the family any more, who is he?

Russell has no interest in being on the basketball team. He has his Masters of the Mind team to lead and competition to prepare for. But when he sees some success on the court - and his dad starts paying more attention to him - Russell starts to wonder if he can have it all, sports and school. But basketball is enough of a distraction to give someone else a foothold in the Masters of the Mind. Russell has to decide who he wants to be.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I picked it up to scan it to see if it would be appropriate to give away to students and I was completely drawn in to the story and decided to read it cover to cover that day. It's a great story about identity as both boys, very different in temperament and interests, have to decide who they are and who they want to be. Interesting family dynamics are described but aren't the focus on the story. I'm looking forward to sharing this with my son as well as with students at school. A sequel releases in November.

Four out of five stars
AR reading level of 3.9

Recommended for: fans of sports stories and school stories, mid- to upper-elementary students, classroom reading. The "lower" reading level could make this a good match for reluctant readers or students reading a grade or so below grade level but it still looks appropriate for tweens.

TIGER TALES - PICTURE BOOKS: What a Wonderful World AND Hands Off My Honey!

A celebration of God's creation with illustrations of a mother and baby bear enjoying the world - ladybugs, deer at a stream, a rainbow, and falling leaves.

Lovely illustrations and a sweet, quiet story. Would make a great bed time book or a shower gift for a new mom.

Four out of five stars
No AR information at this time.

Bear has a huge jar of honey and he's not sharing! But Mouse, Mole and the Rabbit Brothers want some, too. As Bear munches away, the friends sneak toward him - but Mole isn't a very quiet sneak-er. What will happen if Bear catches them trying to get his honey?

Cute story with a fun twist at the end. This was a good one to read part way through and then ask kids how they think it will end.

Four out of five stars
AR reading level of 2.6

TIGER TALES - PICTURE BOOKS: Hugless Douglas and the Big Sleepover AND Farmer's Market Day

Douglas has been invited to Rabbit's for a sleepover. Along the way, he picks up a few friends and Rabbit is happy to welcome them all. But her home is too small for everyone. What will happen to their sleepover?

Another darling story staring Hugless Douglas (and those awesome sheep!).

4 out of 5 stars
AR Reading level of 2.3

A family heads to the farmer's market. The girl explores each booth as kids will - exuberant and a bit clutzy - as she takes it all in.

A fun celebration of local produce and wares available at a Farmer's Market. Could be good to prep kids for a first trip to the Farmer's Market.

3 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 1.4

TIGER TALES - PICTURE BOOKS: Look Out, Ladybug AND Snack Time for Confetti

Ladybug is learning to fly. She keeps practicing, but she's still bumping into everyone - an elephant, a tiger, a chimp. Ladybug's friends encourage her to keep trying, right up to "the end."

Cute book - great illustrations to pour over. Fun un-folding page for the ending. This will be a fun one to read out loud to my students in the fall

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 1.4

Confetti (the baby bird from Stileman's Roly-Poly Egg) is hungry. All of her friends invite Confetti to try their favorite snacks. But Confetti doesn't like any of those foods. Will she ever find something yummy to eat?

Kali Stileman is one of my favorite Tiger Tales authors. The illustrations on her books are gorgeous! Love the sweet characters in this fun, simple story.

4 out of 5 stars
No AR level at this time.

TIGER TALES - PICTURE BOOKS: Red Riding Hood and the Sweet Little Wolf AND I Want My Mommy

Sweet Little Wolf, daughter of two big, bad wolves, is sent to find dinner - onion, carrots, potatoes, and a tender and juicy little girl. When Red Riding Hood walks by, Sweet Little Wolf has her chance. But she gets distracted by Red's fairy tale stories and Grandma's pretty pink robe. Deep down, she knows she's not a Big Bad Wolf, but what is a sweet little wolf to do?

This is a sweet twist on a classic story - would be a great addition to a collection of fairy tales.

3 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 3.2

Arthur's mommy has things to do so Arthur is going to his grandma's house. Even though he gets to show Grandma his dragon costume, Arthur would still rather be with Mommy. Grandma is able to distract Arthur for a little while, but whenever the doorbell rings, he thinks it's Mommy and runs for the door. Can Arthur and Grandma find a way to pass the time together?

This was a sweet story- just look at that cover. The illustrations are precious! And Arthur's problem is such a classic part of childhood, I think this would make a great bedtime read as well as a good book to get kids talking about being away from Mom and Dad.

4 out of 5 stars
No AR rating at this time

TIGER TALES - PICTURE BOOKS: Soo's Boo-Boos by Tilda Balsley AND What Goes Up by Paula Bowles

It's Tiger Tales time again! Over the next few posts I'll be showing you the spring picture books from Tiger Tales publishing. Thanks to the publisher for all of the review copies of these books!!

Soo has boo-boos - ten of them to be exact. And she counts them out, one at a time, for her mother. Then mom takes care of each one so Soo can get back to playing.

This is a darling counting book with a great rhyme scheme that would make it fun to read out loud.

4 stars out of 5
AR reading level of 1.7

Martin the dragon tries everything to fly - being fluffy like a cloud or striped like a bee - but his wings are just too small. But maybe, with the help of his friends, Martin will see that what goes up doesn't have to come right back down.

Sweet story about perseverance and the help of friends.

3 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 2.6

CHAPTER BOOK: Ruby Redfort - Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child

Ruby Redfort is a brilliant girl - an observant, code-cracking jr. high student - who finds herself in the middle of several mysteries.
1) Where did all of her family's possessions disappear to one day while she was at school?
2) Who is the not-quite-right butler ("household manager") who showed up that same day?
3) What's up with the coded phone call she receieved?
Ruby and her best friend Clancy have a lot of codes to crack and clues to follow to sort out all the mysteries swirling around them

This was a great mystery with brave and smart protagonists and plenty of loose threads to pick up in a sequel (Ruby Redfort Take Your Last Breath, available now). Lauren Child is the author of the Charlie and Lola books (that were turned into a TV program on Disney Channel a few years ago) and the Clarice Bean books. I haven't read Clarice Bean, but apparently Clarice reads Ruby Redfort books and that's what prompted Child to write this series. (Clarice Bean is on my reading list for this summer, too.) And I am so glad. I can't wait to put this into the hands of all the students who ask "Where are your mysteries?"

5 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 5.6

Recommended for: fans of Clarice Bean, mystery fans, readers looking for strong female characters


[Just a side note - this is my 900th post! How exciting! Might have to plan something extra fun for number 1000.]

CHAPTER BOOK: Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers by Chris Grabenstein

Riley Mack is known as a "trouble maker" by the local police chief, but in reality, he and his "crew" are righters-of-wrongs - they look out for the little guy. It's like Ocean's Eleven for kids - disguises and schemes designed to save the day... if they all go as planned. And there are a lot of wrongs to be righted - bullying kids, bullying grown ups, embezzlement, theft, puppy mills - and a lot of schemes that could go very wrong.

I loved this book! The various schemes made me tense and there were plenty of things going on outside what the kids knew that added to the tension and kept me turning pages far past my bedtime. I would love to read this one out loud - I think it would be a great one for a class to enjoy together and talk about as they read it. Book two is out - Riley Mack Stirs Up More Trouble - and on my summer Must Read list.

Five out of five stars
AR reading level of 4.2

Recommended for: classroom reading, fans of contemporary stories (no fantasy or magical elements in this one) and/or animal stories, fans of capers/kid spy stories

CHAPTER BOOK: TJ and the Time Stumblers - New Kid Catastrophes by Bill Myers

As if being the new kid at school isn't complicated enough, TJ also has two time-traveling teens following and observing her for a history project (she becomes president in the future). Their efforts to "help" TJ become the person of character and integrity that she is as president lead to lots of catastrophes - she falls into a pool, gets blasted down stairs with a fire extinguisher, and gets turned into a floor lamp to name a few. And since the boys are invisible to everyone but TJ, she has a hard time explaining all the strange things happening to her. Will she ever get the cute guy to notice her as anything but the "weird girl?" Can she make some real friends and get these time-travelers to go home and leave her be?

This was a great, funny story - the start of a series. Poor TJ really endures a lot of complications at the hands of the time-traveling Tuna and Herby - sometimes I just wanted to put my head in my hands. But I think my students will enjoy reading about all of the disasters and mishaps that come up - and there's plenty of mischief yet to come in the series as Tuna and Herby are trapped in our time while they try to fix their time machine.

Four out of five stars
AR reading level of 4.5

Recommended for: Fans of Bill Myers' other books, readers looking for funny stories or stories with a bit of fantasy.

CHAPTER BOOK: Ninja Meerkats - The Clan of the Scorpion by Gareth P. Jones

A tiger with a roar that can hypnotize anyone who hears her has gone missing from the Hong Kong zoo. The Ninja Meerkats are on the case, and they soon find themselves fighting their old nemesis, The Ringmaster. The Meerkats are Jet (the impulsive fighter), Chuck (the leader), Donnie (the brains), and Bruce (the brawn).

This was a fun book - had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feel to it with the personalities of the meerkats and their sensei. Lots of fun puns and one liners would make this a great read-aloud. I only had books one and two (The Eye of the Monkey, 4.9 reading level) in the library at school for a few weeks before summer break, but they were routinely checked out. The kids agreed with the comparison to TMNT. Books 3 and 4 are out now, too, with two more coming in October.

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 4.7

Recommended for: Fans of TMNT and/or Lego Ninjago stories. I like this series for my first through third graders who are reading above grade level as well as for my older elementary students.

NON-FICTION FOR KIDS: What Was the March on Washington? by Kathleen Krull

From the publisher who brings us the excellent Who Was... biography series comes a new line of books that explore historical events rather than historical people. This particular book was a great history of the Civil Rights march in Washington DC in August of 1963. This book introduces readers to the leaders and planners of the event as well as the speakers involved, including but not limited to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 6.1

TEENS: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

"Maybe girls need an island to find themselves. Maybe they need a place where no one's watching them so they can be who they really are." ~ Beauty Queens, page 177

The Miss Teen Dream contestants were ready to parade around in gowns and swimsuits and utter over-rehearsed speeches about world peace. They were not prepared for their plane to crash on an island, killing all the adults and most of the pageant contestants. The time on the island will force the girls to deal with the truth about themselves and to learn to take care of themselves in their dangerous surroundings - all while keeping up their pageant practice, of course!

This was a wild story, unlike most of the things I read for kids or adults. The tone is sassy and irreverent with a dark humor. It took a few chapters to get past some of that dark humor and get into the flow of the story. I marked the quote above as I was reading, and I went back and read it again and again because I think it sums up this story really well - and because I think there is truth in it for teen girls and young women in our culture.

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 4.4 and an interest level of high school (Upper Grades)

Recommended for: teens and adults, readers who enjoy a sassy and dark tone to their stories. This could be an interesting read for a book group - with the right group, the discussion could be fascinating!

Cautions: There's plenty here to offend - and in some ways I think that's the point - to show readers a variety of life styles, responses to stress, corruption in the world, exploitation of women, etc. Specifically, there's a lot of swearing in the book, sex, transgendered and gay characters, satire of corporate advertising and messages to women about beauty.

CHAPTER BOOK: The Menagerie

Logan finds a griffin cub under his bed which leads him to The Menagerie - a zoo for magical creatures. If only Logan can use his griffin-whisperer skills to help his new friends Zoe and Blue track down the other missing cubs, maybe they can keep The Menagerie safe and in operation.

I really enjoyed this book! The mythical creatures were very interesting - each type with its own "voice" and attitude. The five griffin cubs alone were a hoot to read. There's a fun mystery element to the story as Logan has skills and connections to the Menagerie other people seem to know about but he doesn't. The gradual reveal of those connections was nicely done. My students already love Sutherland's dragon series, and I can't wait to recommend this series to them as well!

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 4.6

Recommended for: Fans of animal stories, mythology stories, fantasy stories, and other books written by Tui Sutherland (the Pet Trouble series, the Wings of Fire series)

CHAPTER BOOK: The Magic Cake Shop by Meika Hashimoto

Emma, raised by self-absorbed, judgmental, and snooty parents, is as sweet and genuine as can be. But she "fails" her parents at her 10th birthday party, and they punish her by leaving her with her rude, abusive and gluttonous uncle for the summer. The people in her uncle's community recognize Emma's genuinely nice nature, and they nurture and care for her where they can. But Emma's uncle and his business partner are up to no good, threatening Emma's new friends and the bakery where she loves to hang out. Emma will discover the magic of baking in a way she never expected - and she'll have a chance to make her own life a little better, at least for the summer.

Emma's parents and uncle are appalling (for Harry Potter fans, they are the Dursley's and Snape rolled together - cruel and thoughtless and selfish and mean). Readers will have to set aside their revulsion over these characters to get to Emma's story which is a delight. A fun story with food, friendship, baking and magic. There's a set up at the end that seems to make way for a sequel. While this story deals with Emma's awful uncle, her parents are off-stage for most of the book and remain unchanged by the story's end.

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 5.2

Recommended for:  middle and older elementary readers who still enjoy stories with an element of magic and clear good vs. evil.

Cautions: I have talked with students before about stories with parents like Emma's and some students want no part of the story because they just can't stomach parents treating their children in such a verbally abusive way. Such students might benefit from reading this story in a group setting so they can process their frustrations and so they have an opportunity to see the story all the way through to the end.

CHAPTER BOOK: Hide and Seek (A Silver Jaguar Society Mystery) by Kate Messner

Anna, Jose, and Henry are back, a little more famous for their role in the recovery of the Star-Spangled Banner, and a little more involved in the work of the Silver Jaguar Society (a secret society charged with caring for the world's treasures). When the kids' family members discover a Jaguar artifact recovered in Costa Rica is a fake, the families fly to Costa Rica so the adults can investigate while the kids enjoy the cultural experience of the rain forest. But, of course, the kdis can't stay away from this mystery! Soon they are hunting down clues of their own.

This was an interesting chapter to the overarching story, although the setting of book one appealed to me personally more than the rain forest setting of this story. Hide and Seek is told mostly from Jose's perspective as he struggles with a secret and some increased insecurity about his contributions to the team and his ability to put clues together and find answers. The action and adventure in this story are great and will appeal to readers looking for that in their stories. Great information about rain forest creatures, including fun notes from the author about her research trip to Costa Rica. A major villain in the story is revealed which amps up the tension and the draw to the next book in the series (Manhunt, debuting in Spring, 2014).

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 5.0

Recommended for: fans of Capture the Flag, fans of mysteries or adventure stories

Cautions: none

CHAPTER BOOK: Unlocking the Spell by E. D. Baker

Princess Annie is back! Only weeks after she saves her kingdom from a sleeping curse, she's off on another adventure. This time she is looking for the dwarf who turned her sister's true love into a bear. Liam goes with her as they know they make a good team, but Prince Beldegard goes along to help them track the dwarf, and Gwen insists on joining them rather than be without her prince. Along the way, the group encounters Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, the Three Bears, the Three Pigs, Snow White, the Evil Queen and the Seven Dwarfs, although not every one is who he/she appears to be at first look.

Great story and a great sequel. There's more in this book than the first one about the relationship between Liam and Annie as well as Gwen and Beldegard, with the ups and downs that come with young love. Lot's of fairy tale characters and stories weave in and out of the group's quest for the evil dwarf. I hope there will be more chapter's in Princess Annie's story. She's a great character! I love the things that happen to unsuspecting magic users when they try to curse her and their magic bounces back on them.

4 out of 5 stars
AR Reading level of 5.3

Recommended for: fans of the first book and/or other fairy tale-based stories, readers looking for a romantic story that is appropriate for pre-teen readers (it's not a major part of the story, but it is a thread that holds the story together)

Cautions:  none

CHAPTER BOOK: The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker

A delightful twist on familiar fairy tales! Princess Annie's fairy-godmother gift at her birth was an immunity to magic. Because of this gift, Annie is not affected when her sister, Gwen, pricks her finger on a spinning wheel and all the castle inhabitants fall asleep. It is up to Annie to save the day. She meets up with a guard from her castle who was away when the curse struck. Liam vows to keep Annie safe as they try to find a way to break the curse. Along their journey, Annie meets several princes who agree to try to wake Gwen with a kiss. She also runs into parts of a variety of classic fairy tales -- Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, The Frog Prince, the Princess and the Pea, etc.

This was a great story. I am a huge fan of fairy tales and fairy tale re-tellings and this was a winner! There's a great twist towards the end that ramps up the tension and excitement right at the end. Plenty of loose ends for the sequel to address.

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 6.0

Recommended for: fans of fairy tale stories like the Whatever After series or the Twice Upon a Time series (by Wendy Mass)

Cautions: none

PICTURE BOOKS related to September 11th

   

These two books were in our recent Scholastic Book Fair and both were related to September 11th, 2001. I was thrilled with the quality of non-fiction books Scholastic provided for our fair this spring, including these two books.

America Is Under Attack includes detailed, personal stories of rescuers along with the details of what happened on that day in New York City. This was completely engrossing! My students, most of whom were babies or not yet born when the attacks took place, can't get enough information on what happened that day. They will devour this book! Rescuers and victims are mentioned by name - some survived and others did not. The information is honest while not being emotionally overwhelming.

Five out of 5 stars - excellent!
AR Reading Level of 5.8

14 Cows for America is also a picture book, this time a touching story of how a tribe in Africa responded to the tragedy of September 11th with a gift of cherished cows. Yes, cows. It sounds odd, but as you read the story and understand the culture of the Maasai in Kenya, readers see the beauty and heart of the gift. Lovely story, lovely pictures

Four out of 5 stars
AR Reading level of 4.1

Recommended for: readers interested in the events of September 11th, readers who enjoy stories about global culture or about non-American culture.