Book Review: The Planet Thieves

June 17, 2013 · Filed under Fiction, Intermediate (3-5), Middle School (6-8), Novels, Reviews, Science Fiction · Tagged , , ,

The Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos. 9780765334282. May 2013. Gr. 4-6.

I am quickly becoming a Dan Krokos fan.  Recently, I posted here about his first novel for teens, False Memory.  I felt that False Memory was an inventive and entertaining debut for Krokos, and the second in that series, False Sight, comes out in August and is currently on my extensive “To-Read” list.  Now, Krokos has come out with a middle-grade science fiction title called The Planet Thieves, and based on his other work, I felt I should check it out.

It is the year 2800, and Mason Stark is a 13-year old cadet in the Earth Space Command.  Along with his friends and fellow cadets, he is aboard the largest and most powerful spaceship in the fleet, the SS Egypt. While playing a practical joke on his older sister in the cabin of the ship, there is a red alert, and they find that they are under attack by the Tremist, an alien race that has been at war with humans for many years.  The Tremist are hated by all, but especially Mason, as they are responsible for killing his parents, who were also officers in the ESC.

As Tremist soldiers overtake and board the SS Egypt, it falls on Mason and his fellow cadets to assume responsibility of the entire ship and try and fend off the aliens.  But it soon becomes apparent that the Tremists are looking for something on the ship, and keeping them from finding it may save all of humanity.

The Planet Thieves has some stylistic similarities to False Memory; Krokos knows how to write an enticing, fast-paced thriller.  He deftly builds the drama in the short chapters, and many chapter endings leave the reader with a cliffhanger ending, just begging you to continue on. The Planet Thieves is a fun read, and if you are looking for something for middle-grade science fiction fans, look no further.

Check out the impressive book trailer for The Planet Thieves below:

Ryan H.Blogger: Ryan H.

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Who are you, really?

June 13, 2013 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Middle School (6-8), Novel in Verse, Novels, Realistic, Science Fiction · Tagged , , , , , ,

Back in November, Lori posted a great list of titles that explore identity for teens as they ask questions like “How do you know when you have found your place in the world?” and “How and why do people change?”  I was thinking about those questions as I looked at some of the books I’d read recently, and a few stuck out as good choices to spark discussion among teens about the labels they choose or have chosen for them.

formerlysharkFormerly Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham.  May 2013. 9780763653620. Gr. 7-12

In Shark Girl, Jane Arrowood recovered from the traumatic shark attack that led to her losing her arm and adjusted to life as an amputee.  One year later, everyday life isn’t the big challenge anymore.  She is more concerned about moving forward. Can she face her fears?  Does she have what it takes to pursue art as a career?  Or is she obligated to choose nursing as a career to give back in some way?  People see her as disabled or as a victim, but she wants to be more than that.  This novel-in-verse is an opportunity to look at an experience all teens face—deciding their future career course—through the eyes of someone with a slightly different perspective.

earthgirlEarth Girl by Janet Edwards. January 2013. 9781616147655. Gr. 6-9

In the year 2788, being from Earth isn’t a good thing.  The only people who live on Earth anymore, now that there are so many other planets to choose from and portals that main inter-planetary travel easy, are the ones who are stuck there with an allergy that limits them to Earth.  They are viewed as “handicapped” by off-worlders who rarely come into contact with them.  Jarra wants to prove that she isn’t so different from her off-world peers, so she applies to be a part of an off-world history course that will be spending a year on Earth to study the ancient archaeological sites on the planet.  She quickly distinguishes herself as one of the best students, but it isn’t easy to keep her “Earth Girl” identity secret as she gets closer to her classmates.  This is an interesting look at prejudice and identity with a futuristic back drop that will appeal to science fiction readers in middle or high school.

openlystraightOpenly Straight by Bill Konigsberg. June 2013. 9780545509893. Gr. 9-12

Rafe came out as gay in eighth grade. It wasn’t a big deal at his accepting school, and his parents were very supportive.  But Rafe describes waking up one day and looking in the mirror to see nothing but his label: Gay.

“Where had Rafe gone?  Where was I? The image I saw was so two-dimensional that I couldn’t recognize myself in it.  I was as invisible in the mirror as I was in the headline the Boulder Daily Camera had run a month earlier: Gay High School Student Speaks Out.”

That’s why Rafe decides to go back in the closet at his new school.  It isn’t that he’s ashamed of who he is.  It’s that he wants to be seen for all the things he is. At least, that’s what he tells himself.  Turns out, it’s not that simple, especially when a potential romance complicates things even more.  This book is thought-provoking and insightful, but it’s also funny and romantic.  Highly recommended.

All three of these novels may surprise readers who might think they have little or nothing in common with the main characters.  I think they’ll find that they relate more than they expect.

 

MindyBlogger: Mindy R.

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Picture Book Inventors & Robots

June 10, 2013 · Filed under Picture Books, Primary (K-2) · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Kids are great at questioning the things they see and coming up with their own unique solutions to problems.  When my older son, Alex, was four, I took him along shopping for some new furniture.  He was fascinated with all the beds and the sofas, and on our way home, he announced that furniture stores should stay open every night…to give the homeless people some place to sleep.

These fun picture books about three inventive kids and a curious robot can be used just for reading or as a springboard to a discussion on problems and solutions.

Awesome DawsonAwesome Dawson by Chris Gall. 9780316213301. 2013. Gr PK-2.

Dawson is an inventor…and a recycler.  All of his inventions are made from discarded items from his home, school, and neighborhood.  Dawson’s problem?  He wants to tinker all the time, but his parents expect him to do his chores! His solution is creating a new invention—the Vacu-Maniac!  But with everything the Vacu-Maniac eats, it gets larger and larger.  It crashes through the walls of his house into his yard and keeps going into town.  How can Dawson stop this thing?  Awesome Dawson is an exciting and funny way to introduce the ecological concepts of recycling and reusing.  Readers can pore over the materials that Dawson uses to create his inventions—and might be inspired to create their own!

How to bicycle to the moonHow to Bicycle to the Moon to Plant Sunflowers by Mordicai Gerstein. 9781596435124. 2013. Gr K-2.

The young narrator thinks it is too bad that the moon is so dreary and lifeless. But what can he do about it?  Quite a bit, in fact, because he is a genius inventor—and he has a great idea.  He just needs a bicycle, a NASA spacesuit, and about 200,000 miles of garden hose.  This guide covers everything from getting there and dealing with the loneliness of space to methods of planting and watering his seeds to handling all the acclaim back on earth.

Randy Riley's Really Big HitRandy Riley’s Really Big Hit by Chris Van Dusen. 9780763649463. 2012. Gr PK-2.

Randy Riley plays baseball with the other kids, but he always, always strikes out. He’s a genius, but he just can’t seem to hit the ball.  His passion is outer space, and he knows everything about planets and constellations and rocket ships. One day, while peering at the sky through his telescope, he sees a massive fireball and calculates that it is racing toward earth.  What can he do?  No one believes him!  Well, Randy has a solution…but he has only 19 days!  Will his plan save earth?

Doug unpluggedDoug Unplugged by Dan Yaccarino. 9780375966439. 2013. Gr K-2.

Doug is a robot, and every day before his parents leave for work, they plug him into the computer so he can learn facts and more facts.  One day, as he learns all about the city, he sees a pigeon on the windowsill.  He just learned that pigeons fly in flocks from the computer—but he didn’t know that they made such a funny sound.  Maybe there were more things he could learn if he went into the city!  So he unplugs—and learns many fascinating things that you can’t learn from a computer.  Such as:  a flock of pigeons scatters when you fly into it, wet cement feels squishy under your feet, garbage cans are smelly, and that friends are fun to play with.

TraceyBlogger : Tracey L.

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Book Trailers

June 6, 2013 · Filed under Easy Readers, Fiction, Intermediate (3-5), Middle School (6-8), Picture Books, Primary (K-2), Uncategorized

Book trailers promote books and reading in different ways and can be really fun literacy enhancement tools.

You can use a great book trailer to introduce a book to a young reader. Then, after reading the book, you might initiate a discussion comparing and contrasting the book and the book trailer.

Bluebird by Bob Staake is a beautiful wordless picture book about a lonely looking boy and a small bird. Words aren’t needed to tell this story about companionship and loss; the clean, elegant illustrations do the work. (ISBN 9780375870378. Gr K-3.)

That Is Not a Good Idea by Mo Willems lends itself well to a book trailer, as the book is set in a silent movie theater. Goslings in the audience are watching a movie in which a fox seemingly lures a goose into a forest and over for dinner. The goslings pipe up with warnings, and the suspense is sure to lure in children and adults alike. (ISBN 9780062203090. Gr K-3.)

Book trailers are also great hands-on activities for older kids. After reading a book, they can create their own short trailers, incorporating photos, drawing, video, and audio. Most computers have simple movie-making software that young people can use. While this is a fun and engaging activity, it also supports standards such as the Common Core in multiple ways: Book Trailers and the Common Core Standards at Book Trailers for Readers.

Here are some great titles for summer reading. After reading, kids can develop their own book trailer based on the book.

3103425Claude in the City, by U.K.-based Alex T. Smith, is the first title of the adorable Claude books (the second will be released in September 2013). Smith’s intricate illustrations of Claude–a dog who wears a jaunty beret–and his sidekick, Sir Bobblysock (a striped sock) perfectly accompany the laugh-out-loud stories about Claude’s escapades during the day when his humans are gone at work. (ISBN 9781561456970. Gr 2-4.)

3140541In Runt by Nora Raleigh Baskin, sixth-graders tell their stories in short, interwoven snippets. Thoughts about school and family and recalled events in and out of school reveal the sometimes caustic relationships that can plague middle school. The stories show that it’s not always clear who is right and who is wrong; who is the bully and who is the victim. (ISBN 9781442458079. Gr. 3-6.)

3099262Zebra Forest by Adina Rishe Gewirtz tells about an abrupt and shocking event in the lives of Annie, her little brother, Rew, and their Gran, who live in the birch and oak woods outside the town of Sunshine, where the largest business is the state prison. Summer had come to Sunshine, school was out, and Annie and Rew spent their time in the Zebra Forest telling pirate stories. But one evening after dinner, the summer is altered–and so are their lives. (ISBN 9780763660413. Gr 4-7.)

 

Happy book trail(er)s!

–Blogger: Lori C. Lori

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Book Review: Food: The New Gold

June 3, 2013 · Filed under High School, Middle School (6-8), Nonfiction, Social Studies · Tagged , , , , , ,

wed2013Food: The New Gold by Kathlyn Gay. August 2012.  9780761346074. Gr. 7-12

Think. Eat. Save.  This year on June 5th World Environment Day asks people to think about the connection between their food and the environment.  There are many books on this subject for young people.  I’ve blogged about some of them here and a few more here, and this year in honor of World Environment Day, I created a list of books at all levels for librarians and teachers to consider as they encourage their students to address global issues like hunger, conservation, and food production.  One of the stand-out titles from that list is Food: The New Gold by Kathlyn Gay.

foodnewgoldThis book attempts to make clear that our food supply is a complex issue that factors in to a wide range of decisions.  It begins with hunger.  Chapter 1 begins with a striking photograph of a grimy young boy holding an empty plate after a 2010 flood in Pakistan led to widespread food shortages in that region.   Next to the photo is a description of a conference held by world leaders  in Japan as they discussed food security around the world, which included a lavish feast that was roundly criticized in the media for its apparent hypocrisy.  Even if we are inclined to agree with the criticism in that situation, there isn’t much agreement in how to solve the larger issues.

Food politics often divides people sharply.  Many support factory farming and genetically modified crops because they believe these practices are the best way to produce enough food to feed everyone.  Others oppose those practices in favor of organic farms citing environmental and health concerns.  Kathlyn Gay maintains a balanced tone throughout the book as she gives voice to both sides of the debate.

The epilogue looks ahead to the future of food as it addresses sustainable farming practices and alternative sources of food that may be in our future.  Are your students willing to eat insects?  I don’t blame them if the answer is no, even if insects are nutritious and sustainable.  But what are they willing to do?  This book is an open invitation to think about the issues behind our food and make choices that will create a better environment for us all.  The folks behind World Environment Day certainly agree with this message, and they encourage everyone to start with a very simple action: minimize food waste.

Or as they say: “So think before you eat and help save our environment!”

Don’t miss my World Environment Day 2013 book list for more titles to includes in your related book displays or bibliographies about food, farming, and sustainability.

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Book Review: Winger

May 30, 2013 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Humor, Novels, Reviews · Tagged , , , , , ,

Winger by Andrew Smith. 9781442444928. May 2013. Gr. 9-12.

Ryan Dean West, AKA Winger, is a boy with many typical adolescent male issues.  However, he also has issues that present problems unique to him.  He is a brilliant student, and has proven himself academically and become a  14-year old high school junior.  He is also a star rugby player who is fast and tough and can compete with anyone.  Unfortunately, he is not as skilled socially (the case with many boys his age) and he struggles with navigating life as a teenager.

Ryan attends Pine Mountain, an elite private school that Ryan Dean refers to a “rich kids’ school”.  He is stuck in O-Hall, the “troublemakers” dorm, for stealing a cell phone.  Here, he lives with some very colorful characters, including his roommate, the dim and muscular jock, Chas.  Ryan excels at schoolwork, but his real loves are rugby and Annie Altman.  He is good friends with the amiable Annie, and hopes to become more than friends, but fears that she views him as a little kid since he is a very young high-schooler.  Due to his age, Ryan Dean finds himself having to prove himself in other areas as well, trying to fit in on the rugby pitch and in the adolescent male realm, where being physically small can be a hindrance.

His relationship with Annie is not the only complicated relationship Ryan Dean has to deal with.  He faces hazing, bullying, betrayal, physical fights, and girl issues (beyond those with Annie).  All of these make for a great story, and give author Andrew Smith a lot of material, but beyond that, I believe it is an authentic portrayal of relationships that adolescents have to navigate.  Ryan Dean also has an openly gay friend, Joey, who is portrayed as an overall great guy, and I loved the fact that he is accepted by most of his peers for who he is, although discrimination against him does provide some major plotlines.

There is an edginess to Winger.  Smith doesn’t shy away from describing the adolescent condition, warts and all.  But I found most of the edginess to be done in a way that isn’t gratuitous.  For example, there is plenty of swearing in Winger, but this is Ryan Dean’s written account of his life, and he writes that he makes a point of trying not to swear in conversation.  His account serves as a kind of diary, and I believe it is a good message that shows what is acceptable in what time and place, and that people should be able to add anything to a private account of their lives.  Similarly, the relationship between Ryan Dean and Annie is very innocent, but yet there is a lot of sexually-charged “guy talk” about girls.  Much of this is typical adolescent bluster, yet Ryan Dean’s relationship with Annie is respectful and appropriate.  In short, the edgy topics are moderated and balanced.

Winger is a fun read about growing up, making poor decisions and numerous mistakes, and weaving through all of the obstacles of adolescence.  Here is a link to Andrew Smith’s blog, where he blogs about Winger, which is getting good reviews and acclaim all-around!

Ryan

Blogger: Ryan H.

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New Animal Characters in Picture Books

May 27, 2013 · Filed under Picture Books, Primary (K-2) · Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

I recently made a list of my favorite picture books, and I realized that most of the starring characters are animals.  Pooh and Piglet, of course, and a baby bird that couldn’t find its mother. A curious monkey, a disobedient rabbit, and a puppy that is always late.  A mama duck tries to cross a busy city street with her babies, and a king tries to keep the mice out of his cheese.  And my all-time favorite, a bull who likes to stop and smell the flowers.

My boys, too, loved books with animals, real or fantastic.  A young boy’s best friend is a huge, drooling dog that is afraid of storms.  A young tree snake doesn’t want to change colors and get boring. The Big Bad Wolf wants to explain WHY he ate the three little pigs.  A K-9 officer upstages her partner.  Cows type, frogs float on lily pads, and a beastly tyrannosaurus has no friends.

Here are some new picture books with endearing animal characters to add to the old favorites!

New Blue SocksHave You Seen My New Blue Socks? by Eve Bunting, illus. by Sergio Ruzzier. 9780547752679. 2013. PK-1.

With a cadence similar to Green Eggs and Ham, this book tells of a young duckling that is looking for its new blue socks.  When he asks his friend the fox if he has seen them, the fox replies, “I have not seen your new blue socks. Did you look inside your box?  Did you ask your friend the ox?”  Careful readers will see the socks before one of the peacocks points them out to the duck, who exclaims, “Thank you, thank you, dear Peacocks. At last I’ve found my new blue socks!”  Also, like Green Eggs and Ham, this book is perfect for beginning readers.

Ol' Mama SquirrelOl’ Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein. 9780399256721. 2013. PK-1.

You’ve heard the warning about getting between a mama bear and her cubs?  Well, that’s nothing compared to this mama squirrel’s reaction to anyone getting near her babies!  Cats, owls, dogs—it doesn’t matter—she will chatter and scold “Chook, chook, chook!” until the intruder slinks away.  Even kites and planes and the tree-pruner receive a tongue-lashing for getting too close to her family.  But when a grizzly bear shows up, Mama Squirrel might just be out of her league.

Perfectly PercyPerfectly Percy by Paul Schmid. 9780061804366. 2013. PK-1.

Percy’s favorite things in the world are…balloons!  As with most kids and balloons, the fun ends with a popped balloon.  But Percy has more problems with balloons than most youngsters, because Percy is a porcupine.  And as author Paul Schmid says, “HAPPY little porcupines with balloons are soon SAD little porcupines.”  But Percy is also a thinker, and maybe, just maybe he can solve this problem.  How would you solve it?

Puffin PeterPuffin Peter by Petr Horacek. 9780763665722. 2013. PK-1.

Peter and Paul are best puffin friends.  So one day, when a big storm blows Peter out to sea, his first thought is how to find his way back to Paul.  A kindly whale stops to help and asks for a description.  Peter says that Paul is funny and noisy, and happily the whale says he knows just where to look.  But when he and Peter arrive at an island of funny and noisy parrots, Peter adds more to his description:  Paul’s feathers are black and white!  The whale again has an idea—but Paul is not among the penguins.  Will Peter ever be able to describe Paul well enough?  This book is great for a lesson on differences and similarities.

Red HatRed Hat by Lita Judge. 9781442442320.2013. 2013. PK-1.

In this almost wordless book by the author of Red Sled, a young boy washes his red, knitted cap and pins it to the clothesline—where it is seen and stolen by the woodland animals.  They chase each other—a furry mix of tag and keep away—and in the mayhem the hat starts to unravel.  Then it unravels some more…and some more…and suddenly there is nothing left but string, which the guilty animals sneak back and hang up on the clothesline.  What will the child do with a bunch of tangled yarn?

This Moose Belongs to MeThis Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers. 9780399161032. 2012. PK-2.

Wilfred has a pet moose named Marcel.  And since Wilfred prefers things to be “just so,” he has quite a few rules for his pet.  Marcel is not always so good at following all the rules, unless there are apples involved.  He has an especially hard time with rule # 7 : Maintain a certain proximity to home.  One day while they are out on a walk, they meet up with a lady who claims that “Rodrigo” is her moose, and Marcel stays with her (she has an apple).  What will Wilfred do without his pet—and friend?  Marcel wanders back just in time for a rescue, and Wilfred realizes that he needs to relax his rules.

Bibliography – my childhood favorites:

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman. 9780394900186.

Curious George by H.A. Rey. 9780395159934.

The King, the Mice, and the Cheese by Nancy Gurney. 9780394900391.

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. 9780670451494.

The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey. 9780307103284.

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf. 9780670674244.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. 9780723247708.

Bibliography – my sons’ favorites:

Click, Clack, Moo : Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin. 9780689832130.

Henry and Mudge and the Wild Wind by Cynthia Rylant. 9780689808388.

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann. 9780399226168.

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka. 9780670827596.

Tuesday by David Wiesner. 9780395551134.

Tyrannosaurus Was a Beast by Jack Prelutsky, (illus. by Arnold Lobel). 9780688115692.

Verdi by Janell Cannon. 9780152010287.

TraceyBlogger : Tracey L.

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