Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs is the follow up to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Though it's a much easier title to pronounce, it's just as peculiar and strange and fascinating as the first one.

Sometimes I feel like book 2 is just a bridge to book 3 and didn't necessarily need to be written. This book 2, however, also has character and plot development. My only recommendation is that if it's been a while since you read the first book, review the ideas and creatures from the first book as I couldn't quite remember what they were when I started this book.

I can't wait to see the first book turned into a movie and directed by Tim Burton. I usually have to wait until movies come to Redbox, so if you see it first, let me know what you think.

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Hollow City
By Ransom Riggs
Publisher: Quirk Books
Year: 2014
Ages: Young Adult

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel

My husband recently started working at a two-year college. While we toured the campus, there was a display outside the library advertising a class called The Graphic Novel as a Literary Form. I really want to take that class! But since, I can't do that, I did the next best thing. I got a library card (one of the perks of being a spouse of faculty member) and checked out the book that I absolutely had to read.

One of my favorite YA books of all time is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I haven't read very many graphic novels, and I think a book you're familiar with turned into a graphic novel is a great way to start. I already knew the story backwards and forwards (and could probably quote much of it). It was very interesting to see how the artist (Hope Larson) portrayed some non-dialogue portions of the book. The first scene in Camazotz was my favorite:

As I read the book my four-year-old sat next to me and wanted to know what was happening and what all the characters were saying. So though this book is listed for Middle Grade Readers, younger readers could certainly enjoy it too. Check out this awesome book trailer. And then check out the book. Or go buy it. It's going on my wishlist.





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A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel
By Madeleine L'Engle
Illustrations by Hope Larson
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2015
Ages/Themes: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Classics, Books Everyone Should Read, Newbery Books

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

In less than a month my husband accepted a job across the country, we prepped and staged our house, sold our house, packed all our belongings, drove from Florida to Idaho with three kids in a small car, and lived slightly homeless for a week. We've been living out of suitcases, and we finally got all of us stuff two days ago. So now I sit among boxes and stuff unpacked from boxes that I'm not sure where it should go. I've had very little time for reading and zero time for blogging.

But amidst it all, I managed to read Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo. I saw it on the Indie Bound Summer 2016 List and knew I had to read it. It's by one of my favorite authors and it's set in Florida. I was trying to focus on going local in my reading. (Anyone know of any good books set in Idaho?) Though I lived there less than four years, Florida is such a unique place that you can't help but be changed by it and I loved reading a book with those familiar elements. It had a touch of the Southern Gothic about it.

Raymie is a great character and this book is my new favorite DiCamillo book (which is hard to do because I really love her books). It's a sweet and funny coming-of-age story. Though so many of her books have had at least a touch of fantasy, DiCamillo is apparently also really good at understanding children and how they think (much like Beverly Cleary). I would have loved this book when I was younger, I loved it as an adult, and I recommend it to anyone middle grade or up.

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Raymie Nightingale
By Kate DiCamillo
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Year: 2016
Ages/Themes: Middle Grade Books, Coming-of-Age

Where the Wind Leads by Vinh Chung

Let me start by saying that this book is written for adults. It is not intended for a YA audience. This book is the story of Vietnam refugees and talks about a lot of difficult things. War, killings, beheadings, rape, miscarriage, dehydration, starvation. But none of it gratuitous or graphic. It's up to you if you think your older teen is mature enough to read a book with these elements in them. Even so, I highly recommend this book to anyone with the maturity to handle it.

Where the Wind Leads is the story of a family of refugees who escaped from Vietnam in 1979. The story of what they overcame before, during, and after that time is incredible, heartbreaking, and inspiring.

This book is important in that it can help you understand another human experience and make you profoundly grateful for what you've been blessed with. This book is also timely because though the details are different, the issue of refugees is very much relevant today. This would be a good book to read and discuss with your older teen, or to just read on your own if your children are still too young.

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Where the Wind Leads
By Vinh Chung with Tim Downs
Publisher: W Publishing Group
Year: 2014
Ages/Themes: Young Adult Books, Diverse Books, Refugees

I Really Like Slop! by Mo Willems

Yes, another Elephant & Piggie book. Why? Because they're always funny and kids love them. I Really Like Slop! by Mo Willems is another good one. My kids are really into gross things right now, so this book is perfect for them. Laughing and saying "ewww!" just seem to go together these days.

Mo Willems has a quirky video about how to make Piggie's slop:





Warning! Spoilers Alert:
As a parent, my favorite part of this book is that Gerald tries Piggie's slop even though he doesn't want to. And though he doesn't like it, he's glad he tried it for Piggie's sake. There may be a dinnertime manners lesson somewhere behind the smelly of stinky shoes here.

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I Really Like Slop!
By Mo Willems
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Year: 2015
Ages/Themes: Picture Books, Young Children, Mo Willems, Elephant & Piggie

Indie Bound's Summer 2016 List

As I've mentioned before, Indie Bound is one of my go-to places for book recommendations. They have a new list of adult books every month, and a seasonal list of children and YA recommendations. Here are a few books from their Summer 2016 Kids' Indie Next List that I've put on hold at my library:

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo. I would read anything by Kate DiCamillo. I honestly can't choose a favorite. My kids love reading her Mercy Watson series and I love The Tale of Despereaux, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and The Magician's Elephant, among others. You can count on memorable characters, fun stories, beautiful illustrations, and often lovely tales when you read Kate DiCamillo. I'm even more excited to read this book because it is set in Florida, where I live right now. I've been wanting to read more books set here. 

Reviews of Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk have compared it to one of my favorite books of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Though that's a tall order to fill, it intrigues me enough to check it out.

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes is a middle grade novel that tackles the difficult topic of 9/11. As someone who was an adult when it happened, it's hard for me to make sense of. And as a parent, I have no idea how to talk to my kids about it. This book has been praised for opening up a dialogue about this turning point in American History with children who weren't even born when it happened. It's recommended for teachers to use in their classrooms, but I'm looking forward to reading it as a parent.

These are the books I'm most looking forward to from this summer's list. What new releases would you add to it?

For some adult recommendations, check out this NPR List.

Sam & Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett

Sam and Dave are on a mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. Sam & Dave Dig a Hole is written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen. The illustrator is just as important as the author here because much of the humor of the book is in its visuals.

This was a random library find that my children have loved. We've read it every night for the past week. And we've noticed more things each time we've read it. Check it out at your library, or watch this video of the book being read from the YouTube channel NomNomReadRead:



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Sam & Dave Dig a Hole
By Mac Barnett
Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Publisher: Candlewick
Year: 2014
Ages/Themes: Picture Books, Young Children, Caldecott Honor

Newbery Books Worth Reading: Ramona Quimby, Age 8

I loved the Ramona books when I was a child. I was excited to see that there would be reprintings of some Beverly Cleary books to celebrate her 100th birthday. One of those was Ramona Quimby, Age 8. I just started reading it with my daughter. Childhood memories came flooding back and I really saw why Beverly Cleary is such a great children's writer: she remembers what it's like to be a kid.

If you or your kids have never read Beverly Cleary books, you need to add them to your to be read list. Ramona appeals to girls because she's a girl, but Cleary has many books with boy protagonists too. Check the shelves for her books the next time you're at the library.

Did you grow up alongside Ramona?

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Ramona Quimby, Age 8
By Beverly Cleary
Illustrated by Jaqueline Rogers
Foreword by Amy Poehler
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2016
Ages/Themes: Early Readers, Newbery Honor Books, Newbery Books Worth Reading

It's Ramadan, Curious George by H.A. Rey and Hena Khan

Today our Muslim friends stopped by with a present for Eid--the day of feasting and celebration that ends the month of fasting (Ramadan). With that gift came It's Ramadan, Curious George.

My kids love Curious George, so it was a great way for them to learn about their friends' celebrations. After reading the book and explaining Ramadan and Eid to my kids, my youngest daughter made plans to share our celebrations with them by bringing them Christmas cookies.

This book would be great for Muslim children, but I also think it's good for non-Muslim children. It's a fun and easy way to learn about other traditions, other faiths, and other people.

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It's Ramadan, Curious George
By H.A. Rey and Hena Khan
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Year: 2016
Ages/Themes: Picture Books, Young Children, Ramadan, Eid, Diverse Books

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

This year I was introduced to Brandon Sanderson and have become a big fan, especially of Steelheart and the other books in the Reckoners series. My brother told me I had to read Mistborn next.

Let me clear up something that confused me: the first Mistborn novel is called The Final Empire. I was thrown off by the word "final" and thought that must be the last one in the series. The title makes sense in context of the novel, but the book marketer side of me just sees the confusion it can lead to.

On Brandon Sanderson's site this book is described as "a hybrid epic fantasy heist story." I couldn't have said it any better myself. In fact, I'm not sure how I would have described it by myself. Note the word epic, which means really long. I was a little daunted by the length, and it took me a while to get into the book. It's set in a world with completely different rules than ours, so it took a while for the author to establish those rules and for me to understand what was happening. But with a promise to my brother that I would read it, I pushed on.

And I'm glad I did. By the end I was immersed in the world and invested in the characters, which will make the other books in the series easier to get into. This is not a light read--you have to invest time and thought into it. But if you (or your kids) are into hybrid epic fantasy heist stories, it's a great read and a fun world to be a part of.

Have you ever read a book that would qualify as an epic fantasy? What was it?

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Mistborn: The Final Empire
By Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2006
Ages/Themes: Young Adult Books, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Newbery Books Worth Reading: Holes by Louis Sachar

I graduated high school the year Holes by Louis Sachar won the Newbery Award--and I was one of its biggest fans. I was first in line to see the movie with my brother. And I think it's one of the rare instances when the movie is almost as good as the book and you really should experience both.

Holes is a good book for anyone to read, but it's a great book for boys. And there are some interactive features to the book on Louis Sachar's website. That's where I saw this awesome new cover:

I'm usually pretty loyal to the original cover art, but I think this new one is pretty cool too.

Have you ever read Holes? Have you seen the movie? If not, this summer is a perfect time to fix that.
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Holes
By Louis Sachar
Publisher: Francis Foster
Year: 1998
Ages/Themes: Middle Grade, Newbery Books, Books for Boys, Movies

A Stick is an Excellent Things: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play by Marilyn Singer

I love poetry, and I think if you expose children to it early, it won't seem so intimidating when they're adults. In first grade, my daughter learned about a new poem each month and she thought they were really cool.

A Stick is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play by Marilyn Singer is the perfect book of poems for children during the summer months. The poems are great for reading out loud together, and as the subtitle says, they celebrate playing outside. I rarely follow illustrators, but I'm beginning to recognize LeUyen Pham's work and I love her illustrations.

Do you have a favorite book of poems for children?

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A Stick is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play
By Marilyn Singer
Illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Publisher: Clarion Books
Year: 2012
Ages/Themes: Picture Books, Early Readers, Poetry

Ninja Baby by David Zeltser

I think this book is okay, but my kids think it's hilarious. There's something about babies doing things that babies can't normally do that is just too funny. In this book the Ninja Baby rules her house until she's joined by a Kung Fu Master (aka baby brother).

If your kids need a fun and silly picture book, try Ninja Baby by David Zeltser.

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Ninja Baby
By David Zeltser
Illustrated by Diane Goode
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Year: 2015
Ages/Themes: Picture Books

Favorite Picture Books With Dads

With Father's Day coming up in a couple of days, I wanted to highlight a few of our favorite picture books with dads in them.

At the top of the list is Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems. It's the story of a dad, his daughter, and a missing  It's been a favorite in our house for a long time.

My two-year-old's very favorite book right now is We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. Everyone in the house has it memorized. I'll read it to him occasionally, but besides featuring a dad, this is the favorite book for dad to read out loud in our house.

I recently featured Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie. It features a great father/son relationship.

Daddy Hugs by Karen Katz is a cute board book for your littlest readers and their daddies.

What are some of your favorite picture books featuring dads?

Guest Review: A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine

Guest reviewer Katie is a fantasy writer, avid reader, violinist, and high school student who is happy to be on summer break so she has more time to read. Here she reviews A Tale of Two Castles by Newbery-winning author Gail Carson Levine.
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A Tale of Two Castles is written by Newbery Winning author Gail Carson Levine, who wrote Ella Enchanted. I’ve read many of her books and have loved them all. This one in particular is a favorite. The second time I read it I had forgotten the entire middle of the book so it was a familiar brand new story to me.

A young girl named Elodie decides to set out from home and go to the capital city where she hopes she can aspire to be a mansioner or an actress. Through a series of events instead of a mansioner, she becomes a dragon’s apprentice. Sent to spy for her Mastress, Elodie must figure out who is plotting against a shape-shifting ogre. Is it the greedy king, the giddy princess, the handsome cat trainer, or is it the dragon?

I loved how unique the tale is and the different personalities of each character. I think that this book would be great for girls in middle school and older.

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A Tale of Two Castles

By Gail Carson Levine

Publisher: HarperCollins Publisher

Year: 2011

Ages: Middle Grade Books, Young Adult Books, Fantasy, Fairy Tales

Newbery Books Worth Reading: The Graveyard Books

One of my favorite Newbery winning books is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. If you know anything about Neil Gaiman, you know that his books are often strange and a little bit dark. But if you like that kind of thing, Neil Gaiman is the very best. And this is the very best of Neil Gaiman.

It's about a boy who's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised and taught by its ghostly residents, the boy eventually has to face one of the terrors of the real world. It's surprising and magical and enchantingly different than most middle grade books out there.

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The Graveyard Book
By Neil Gaiman
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2008
Ages/Themes: Middle Grade Books, Newbery Winners, Newbery Books Worth Reading

More Parts by Tedd Arnold

We discovered children's author Tedd Arnold through Beastie Toys, the YouTube channel with readings of kids' books that my kids are currently obsessed with. She reads Fly Guy books on the channel, so when we went to the library, we looked for Fly Guy. Apparently they're popular books because they were all checked out, but we did find another Tedd Arnold book called More Parts.

As may be apparent by the title, More Parts is the second book in a collection, but it works fine on its own. In the book a kid stresses out when his dad asks for him to "give him a hand" and runs away when a joke is guaranteed to "crack him up." It reminded me a little bit of the Amelia Bedelia books where she takes everything literally. But this book steps it up about 10 notches and had my kids rolling with laughter (yes, literally) and grossing out at (and loving) the illustrations.

If you want to get your kids laughing, look for More Parts. Or Parts. And I think there's one called Even More Parts. Just look for Tedd Arnold books the next time you go to the library, my kids love them and yours probably will too.
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More Parts
By Tedd Arnold
Publisher: Picture Puffin Books
Year: 2003
Ages/Themes: Young Children, Picture Books, Tedd Arnold

Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie

Thunder Boy Jr. is named after his dad. His dad's nickname is Big Thunder, which sounds like something awesome. But Thunder Boy Jr.'s nickname is Little Thunder, which sounds like a burp or a fart. Thunder Boy Jr. is a book about the meaning of names, about fitting in with your family and finding your own identity.

Sherman Alexie is an important American author. I think everyone should read his works. So I was excited to find he had written a children's picture book. My girls loved this book too. They enjoyed the play with words and names. You can read this book for fun, or you can use it to open up a conversation about family names and identity.
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Thunder Boy Jr.
By Sherman Alexie
Illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Year: 2016
Ages/Themes: Young Children, Picture Books, Diverse Books, Family

Tips for Summer Reading

Memorial Day is past and for many of you, summer break has begun. Well, good for you. We still have 6 days of school left. We had a great long weekend celebrating my daughter's 7th birthday (the picture above is from our beach trip), but today we had to get back into the routine and finish up school. I'm never sure exactly what they're doing these last few days. My daughter's end of school party is next Tuesday, so remind me again why she needs to go to school next Wednesday?

Anyway, I know that I have a better summer with my kids if I'm intentional about it. I usually make a list of fun things we want to do and try to have a loose schedule for our lazy days at home so they don't turn into "can we just watch one more show?" kinds of days. Reading is a great summer activity that also helps fight against the summer slump. Here are some ideas for keeping your kids reading this summer.

Reading Programs

• Check your local library for summer reading programs.
• Scholastic has an online summer reading program.
• So does Barnes & Noble. (Kids can earn a free book!)

Reading Recommendations

• This blog, of course! You can find books organized by age and theme on the side bar. Or check out my Pinterest page.
• Indiebound has a Kids' List of book recommendations from independent bookstore owners.
• Look at your child's school website. Many of them have recommended reading lists for the grade your child will be entering.
• There are lots of great reading blogs. I recently found a good one called Everyday Reading. It has book recommendations for both kids and their parents.
• Lots of libraries have book lists based on age or theme that you can find in the children's or teen's sections. Or you can even ask a librarian.
• The New York Public Library has a list of 100 Great Children's Books.

Reading Activities

• Visit the library (often!).
• Browse a bookstore. If you can, give your kids a small allowance to spend on books.
• Have a read-a-thon. Save this for a day when everyone's burned out from too many summer activities. Or in our case, for hurricane watch days when we're stuck inside.
• Keep a reading journal. Keep it simple: use a lined note book and write down the title, author, and what you liked or didn't like about the book.
• Have independent reading time, even for your kids who just look at the pictures. Literacy starts early.
• Choose a fun book to read together. My early reader and I take turns reading a page each. I'm excited to start the first Harry Potter book with her this summer.
• Choose a book that you read aloud as a whole family.
• Read local. Find a book that is set in a nearby place. When you're done reading, go visit the place.
• If you're taking a road trip, buy or borrow an audio book that everyone can listen to.
• And last but not least--bring a book! If you're going to the beach, going camping, or having a picnic, bring books and read them.

What are your favorite summer reading resources and activities?

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

My first grader and I took a break from Magic Treehouse books and read Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman together. It's a silly story that a dad tells his kids to explain why it took him so long to go to the market to get the cereal for their milk. It's full of dinosaurs, aliens, pirates, time travel, and a volcano god.

I love Neil Gaiman and I'd read this book on my own before. My daughter thought it was fun and loved the silly illustrations. She also thought it was a little weird, which Neil Gaiman is. I like a little weird. And if you or your kids do too, you'll like this book. It's easy enough for some early readers to read alone, but it's fun to read together.

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Fortunately, the Milk
By Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Skottie Young
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2014
Ages/Themes: Early Readers, Silly Stories

Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

I find I have more time to read when I do it on my Kindle. I read while I'm putting my little one to sleep or before I go to sleep at night and don't have to worry about lights. (That's why I love the Kindle Paperwhite--no harsh lights.) I've been on the ebook waiting list for Calamity for a few weeks. But when I saw the paper version sitting on the shelf of the library, I snagged it and thought maybe I'd start reading this one and then pick up when I got the ebook.

Well, I'm still on the waiting list for the ebook version and I finished Calamity last night. Turns out I find time to read better when it's a page turner, which the entire Reckoners series is. It's an entertaining, fun, adventure. Now that I've started to get to know this author, I have a lot more on my TBR list!

The Reckoners series is great because it takes a well-loved theme, superheroes, and gives it a fresh look. The characters are interesting and the story keeps you guessing. The content is clean and appropriate for any kid old enough to read the books, As entertaining as the book is, it's more than that. I'm still thinking about the ending and contemplating what some of it might mean.

Have you read any Brandon Sanderson books? Which ones are your favorites?

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Calamity 
By Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year: 2016
Ages/Themes: Middle Grade Books, Young Adult Books, Science Fiction, Adventure, Series, Books for Boys

Newbery Books Worth Reading: Island of the Blue Dolphins

I can't remember the first time I read Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. It was published in 1960 so it was already an old book when I got my hands on it. But I do know that I read it over and over again until my copy was falling apart.

Adventure and survival books with female protagonists may be common now, but not so much when I was growing up. Karana in Island of the Blue Dolphins is left on an island and survives alone for 18 years. It was a remarkable story to read as a young girl because I could not conceive of surviving alone, and at the same time, Karana helped me imagine that I could.

Sadly, my childhood copy has not survived. But Newbery books often stay in print and my research shows that a 50th anniversary edition was printed in 2010. I plan on putting it on my list of books to buy for my daughters.

What are some of your favorite adventure books for girls?
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
By Scott O'Dell
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Year: 1960
Ages/Themes: Middle Grade Books, Books for Girls, Adventure, Diverse Books, Newbery Books

The Night Gardener by The Fan Brothers

After seeing it in Indie Bound's Spring 2016 Children's list, I checked out The Night Gardener by Terry Fan and Eric Fan from the library.

It's a magical story of a gardener who comes and turns the trees into beautiful creations every night and the influence it had on a young boy. The illustrations are lovely. My six-year-old described them as looking like "real drawings and paintings." Which means like something you'd frame and put on the wall rather than cartoonish.

My children loved the story and the pictures. It feels like a bedtime story, one you should snuggle up under a blanket together to read. I recommend you at least check it out from the library, but it would make a beautiful gift book as well.

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The Night Gardener
By Terry Fan and Eric Fan
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Year: 2016
Ages/Themes: Picture Books, Young Children, Bedtime Stories

Samanthasaurus Rex by B.B. Mandell

I went to the library without my youngest two children on Saturday. When I brought home the books, my four-year-old grabbed this one from the pile and exclaimed, "Oh, I love this one!" Since it's newly published, she had never even seen this one before. But that speaks to the power of a good cover and fun illustrations.

Samanthasaurus Rex is a T-rex who just doesn't act like a T-rex. She uses her brain instead of her brawn and feels like she might be a disappointment for her family. But then she has the chance to use her smarts and find a place in her family, even though she's different.

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Samanthasaurus Rex
By B.B. Mandell
Illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Year: 2016
Ages: Picture Books, Young Children

Newbery Books Worth Reading: Princess Academy

I'm sure you've heard that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover (though as every book marketer and seller will tell you, people do it all the time). Well, I sometimes judge a book by its title. And that's why it took me a few years to give Princess Academy by Shannon Hale a chance.

I actually love fairy tales and their many retellings, but for some reason having the word princess in the title kept me from reading this book. But I changed my mind after reading it. It's certainly not for everyone, but middle grade girls will likely love the story, and lovers of young adult and middle grade books (like me) will likely enjoy this book as well. I don't think it's Shannon Hale's best, but it's still a good one. (Book of a Thousand Days is her best if you're wondering.)

Are you a Shannon Hale fan? Which book of hers is your favorite?
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Princess Academy
By Shannon Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury Books for Children
Year: 2005
Ages/Themes: Middle, YA, Fairy Tales, Fantasy

Firefight by Brandon Sanderson

For a few years I happily read and followed along with many of the most popular YA trilogies. I read the Hunger Games, Divergent, and Matched trilogies. But over time, I got really sick of trilogies. I've started some YA series and not moved on to the second book, because I'm weary of the books never ending. I really got sick of it with the Maze Runner series. I found the first book entertaining, but I think that the second book could have told the story in a couple of chapters and been part of the third book. It seems that authors have this great idea for a longer story and they know the ending, but since trilogies are a thing now, they have to come up with something for the middle.

Well, Brandon Sanderson has broken that stereotype for me. I really enjoyed Steelheart, so I was eager to read the second book, Firefight, despite my misgivings about trilogies (and the second book in particular). Firefight continues the story of the Reckoners, but it stands alone as a good story, and has a complete ending along with anticipation for the conclusion. It had important plot developments and character growth. I really can't wait to read the conclusion, but the second book's conclusion left me with a sense of completion that so many second books just don't do anymore.

So, the point of my long rant about trilogies and second books comes to this: read Firefight. It's just as good as Steelheart. It has adventure and humor and great storytelling.

What is your favorite trilogy? Is there one you think could have skipped the second book?

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Firefight
By Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year: 2015
Ages/Themes: Young Adult Books, Middle Grade Books, Fantasy, Adventure, Science Fiction, Series

Marvin Gets Mad! by Joseph Theobald

Marvin Gets Mad! by Joseph Theobald is about a sheep named Marvin who gets mad because someone ate the apple he wanted for himself.

This book was a favorite of my daughter's when she was two years old. It brought up memories of her reading along and even reading the memorized book to herself. My kids like imitating Marvin as he gets mad. And if you wanted to, you could even use this book as an opportunity to talk about emotions and what to do when you get mad. Or you can just have fun imitating a mad sheep.

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Marvin Gets Mad!
by Joseph Theobald
Publisher: Scholastic
Year: 2008
Ages: Picture Books, Young Children

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

I came late to reading all the Harry Potter books, and so am just now getting around to reading the companion book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I love Harry Potter, but I don't think I would have read this book if it weren't for the movie version coming out in November.

The book is small and as a pretend text book, it would read a bit dry if it weren't for the bits of humor added throughout, both by the "author" and by the pretend notes written in it by Harry and his friends.

This book is definitely for Harry Potter fans, and would make a good gift for a child who already had all the Harry Potter books. The movie trailer looks really good and I'm interested to see the plot they attach to a book with no plot at all.

What about you? Are you a Harry Potter fan? What level of obsessed are you?

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
By Newt Scamander (aka J.K. Rowling)
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Year: 2001
Ages: Early Reader, Middle Grade Books

Kid's Indie Next Spring 2016 Picks

One of the places I like to find good new kids' lit is Indie Bound' Kid's Indie Next List. Owners of independent bookstores make their recommendations that is an alternative to big lists like the New York Times. There are some crossovers, but the Indie Next List often gives attention to books that I might otherwise miss. They only come out with a kids' lit list a few times a year, so I'm always excited to read it. Here are a few books I'm going to check out from their Spring 2016 list:

Pax by Sarah Pennypacker
I'm not always a huge fan of books focused on animals, so at first glance, I was not interested in this one. But it's recommended for those who love The Giver, so I might have to give it a chance.

Summerlost by Ally Condie
I already read, loved, and recommended this book. If you needed any more encouragement to check out this middle grade novel, here it is.

The Night Gardener by Terry Fan and Eric Fan looks pretty. Which is reason enough to check out a picture book in my opinion.

Hour of Bees by Lindsay Eager is about family and memory and storytelling, all things I love. The description of the book brought to mind the movie Big Fish.

Let's Play! by Herve Tullet. We already own and love Press Here and Mix It Up!, so we'll definitely be checking out Tullet's newest book.






Do you think you'll check out any of these books? Where do you like to find book recommendations?

Literacy Tip: Let Your Kids See You Reading

I've had a long week. I had a long to do list on Monday and had the kind of week where I just had to keep adding things. Even though it's Friday, I've barely made a dent in it. So to keep things light here, for both you and me, I want to share a quick literacy tip.

You read it in the title: just let your kids see you reading. Books, ebooks, magazines, articles. Let them see you read and enjoy reading. Show them that reading is important to you. Kids want to do everything their parents are doing, so give them good reading habits to imitate.

Today my four-year-old noticed me reading and we had this conversation:

N: You like to read all the time, Mom.

Me: Yes, I love reading.

N: But you read your books in your head because you don't know all the words.

Me: Actually, I just like to read to myself and I think the words in my head, but I know most the words.

N: Oh. And we would get really annoyed if you read your books out loud all the time.

Yaks Yak: Animal Word Pairs by Linda Sue Park

In this fun book yaks yak and bugs bug bugs. My first grader has loved reading this book together. The fun homograph word play makes her laugh and has opened up discussions about linguistics and where words come from.

This book is great for early readers, but it would be fun for any elementary aged child.
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Yaks Yak: Animal Word Pairs
By Linda Sue Park
Illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt
Publisher: Clarion Books
Year: 2016
Ages: Young Children, Early Readers, Picture Books, Word Play

You can find this book on Amazon (affiliate link), at your local independent bookstore, or at your local library.

Summerlost by Ally Condie

"It is possible to be different and still belong to your family. For them to love you like crazy."

I grew up on books like A Taste of Blackberries and Bridge to Terabithia where a best friend of the protagonist dies near the end. I feel that sometimes books like that end where they should begin because they don't spend much time dealing with how a child copes with loss.

Enter Summerlost by Ally Condie. Condie is the author of the best-selling Matched trilogy. Summerlost is the story of a summer that Cedar spends with her mother and brother in a new home a year after they lost their father and another brother in a car accident. Another important topic that this book talks about is what it is like to have a sibling with special needs. It captures the love and the frustration and the guilt.

Now that I've made it sound like a book to read just to learn a lesson, it also has a really great story with great characters. I recommend it to any middle grade reader.
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Summerlost
By Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books
Year: 2016
Ages: Middle Grade Books

You can find this book on Amazon (affiliate link), at an independent bookstore, or at your local library.

Steelheart (The Reckoners) by Brandon Sanderson

Superhero movies and books are abundant these days. There are even superheroes with dark sides. But what if there were people who gained superhero powers, but none of them were good? What if the world was filled with super villains but there were no good guys with super powers to stop them?

I was in the middle of reading two other books when I started reading Steelheart, the first book in The Reckoners series by Brandon Sanderson. I abandoned those and finished this book as quickly as I could. The premise is intriguing, the story was fast-paced and fun, and its full of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I'll probably reread it someday to see if there's foreshadowing that I missed. The good news is it's part of a series, so there's more to read.

I recommend this book for anyone who likes superheroes, adventures, or alternate worlds (I hesitate to call it a dystopia, but the world is certainly a grimmer place with villains controlling everything). This would be a great book for teenage boys.

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Steelheart
By Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year: 2013
Ages: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Books for Boys

You can buy this book on Amazon (affiliate link) or at your local independent library).

Newbery Books Worth Reading: The Blue Sword

Robin McKinley was one of my favorite authors growing up. She writes retellings of classic fairy tales, including two different versions of Beauty and the Beast. And she writes some original fantasy books. The Blue Sword is one of them and it was a Newbery Honor book in 1983. 

McKinley wrote strong female leads before there was so much emphasis on making sure girls read books with strong female leads. In The Blue Sword a young orphaned girl is destined to wield a legendary sword and become the king's rider. I loved reading it as a young girl and I still love it. It's a great book for girls, but there's plenty of action and adventure for boys to enjoy too. And it's definitely a Newbery book worth reading.

You can buy this book on Amazon (affiliate link) or at your local independent book store.
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The Blue Sword
By Robin McKinley
Publisher: Greenwillow
Year: 1982
Ages: Middle Grade, Young Adult
Themes: Newbery Honor, Fantasy