Student Saturday: Drama by Raina Telgemeier

Student Reviewer:  Amari B.
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Realistic Fiction

This book is dramatically realistic fiction. It starts out with this girl named Callie who is in love with a boy named Greg. But, later in school when she is putting up fliers for the play...these two boys named Justin and Jesse are interested in the auditions for the play. Later in the story Justin has a confession to make. This book is a little bit confusing and weird to me. Let's say there is TONS OF DRAMA! I would recommend this book to drama makers and...certain...uh....people!

Student Saturday: Bogus by Karla Oceanak

Student Reviewer: Darrell S.
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic

Bogus is a funny book. I can sit there for hours and read this book. It's about a boy named Aldo Zelnick.  This is the sequel to the book "Artsy-Fartsy". The book "Bogus"  is about when Aldo, Jack and Bee find a ring. Aldo thought that the ring was super bogus. But, Jack thought it was real. When aldo had the ring he lost it. The next day there was an article in the newspaper. It turned out that the ring was real and someone had a $1,000 reward for whoever could find it. One of the best books ever. If you want to find out what happened, then I want you to read this book.


Teacher's Note:
This student was so into this series that his giggles and sharing with his neighbor, along with his, "You have GOT to read this Mrs. Stiles", prompted me to read Artsy Fartsy.  He was right, I loved it.

Student Saturday: Explorer: The Mystery Boxes by Kazu Kibuishi

Student Reviewer: Luis O.

Genre: Graphic Novel

Source: My teacher recommended this book to me because it’s an easy graphic novel

This book started with a little girl finding a white doll in a box that said, “I’m made of wax and very small I’ll be your friend, not just a doll. Keep me out of the sun and we’ll be fine. What’s mine is yours, what’s yours is mine”

The doll does all the little girl’s chores and starts to look like her until she’s 100% her. The doll draws on walls and her mother thinks it was her, but it was the doll. The girl chases the doll outside and the doll melts. There are a lot of stories like this one in this book I recommend this to people who like different stories talking about the same thing (the mystery box).

Student Saturday: Bone - Jeff Smith

The opinions expressed in this review are those of my student Rodshon

Bone was set in a dessert in ancient times.  Bartleby is the main character of Bone.  He's a very large bone with a long neck and nose.  Bartleby complained continuously about the hot and dry weather in the desert. Roque Ja is a purple rat-like creature with big ears and big eyes.  Roque Ja is very quiet and sensitive.  The last character is Rock Jaw a male lion with a bad attitude.  Rock Jaw was always picked on by bartleby and Rock Jaw because he didn't have a mane like most male lions.

The main plot of Bone is about two friends, Bartleby and Roque Ja pick on Rock Jaw the lion.  Rock Jaw does not have a mane and the two friends call him a little girl.  Rock Jaw 's feelings are hurt.  He plans on hurting them by eating them.  Because everyone knows a lion can kill a rat and a bone.  The story is about the lion attempting to eat Bartleby and Roque ja and for them to find different ways to survive.

The connection I made with this book was thinking about different times when people who I thought were my friends called me names.  It is not a good feeling.  I try hard to be a good friend and not call people names.  If I was in the situation like Rock Jaw I would just ignore them and be friends with people who deserve my friendship.  I would recommend this book to people or students who have issues with bullying.  They may be a bully or have been bullied in the past because it can make them see they are not the only one getting picked on.

My opinion of the book Bone it's funny but at the same time a learning experience.  It exceeded my expectations because I never thought this story could be this serious and important.

Bogus - Karla Oceanak

Publisher:  Bailiwick Press
Pages:  160
Source:  Copy from publisher
Genre:  Middle Grade, Graphic Novel

As a teacher I know that one thing my students hate is vocabulary.  This book is the perfect answer.  It shows them that vocabulary doesn't have to be boring.  It can actually be fun.  Aldo is given a second sketch book from his Grandma Goosy.  He begins to fill it with his drawings, adventures and most importantly to me his fabulous "B" vocabulary words.  In this story Aldo and his best friend
Jack find a diamond ring in the gutter while playing kick the rock.  Aldo throws it back because he thinks it is fake.  Jack retrieves it.  Then Aldo loses it and learns it is real.  Now he is on a mission to find the ring.  I didn't read the first book in the series "Artsy Fartsy".  I will however purchase the first one and the next one "Cahoots".  I know the perfect students to recommend this book to.  This is a book that kids who like "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" will enjoy.

Green Pieces: Green From the Pond Up - Drew Aquilina

Publisher:  Five Star Publication, Inc. (September 4, 2010)
Source:  Bostick communications for review

This book had two things I really enjoyed, comics and an educational look at our environment without letting people know they are being educated.  Drew Aquilina has created four memorable characters with their own personality.  They share their lives with each other in a pond.
We are introduced to Iggy a turtle who is laid back with an obsession for waxing his shell with "turtle wax" of course.  He is constantly being "bugged" by Radic the dragonfly.  This was the only character I didn't like.  I kept thinking about what a pest he was to everyone and wondering why someone didn't eat him.  His ideas usually created more problems for Iggy and he seemed only to think of himself.  Roc the raccoon was the fun character.  He parties hard and goes dumpster diving making it seem like he eats at five star restaurants. He was the spice to this pond.  My favorite character however, was Cabby the frog.  As a  young tadpole exposed to pollution, his legs didn't develop properly.  However, his brain was supersized.  He has a scientific mind and tries to solve all kinds of problems in the pond. 
Mr. Aquilina has created a good mix of characters and takes us through the four seasons in this, his first book.  I enjoyed other aspectsof the book such as the humor when we see a bear darted for gettng into the garbage cans.  We find out about a controversy linking birds to dinosaurs through the G.P.T.V. Public Access channel.  We don't really think about how animals feel when we dart them and then fit them with a radio colar until the opposite happens and the human is collared by the animal.
  This is a book that I can't wait to share with students and recommend to all of my adult friends.  I look forward reading more by this author.  I would recommend you check out his site at:  http://www.greenpiecescartoons.com/http://www.greenpiecescartoons.com/

Book Girl and the Suicidal Mime by Mizuke Nomura

I came about reading this book in a strange way.  A student in one of my after school classes said he had a book for me to read and that I needed to write a review of it and give it back to him.  I read the book and then learned that his mother, who works at a coffee/book shop was given the book to read and gave it to her son to read and he didn't think he would like it so he gave it to me to read.  If you followed all of that then maybe you can get through my review.

From the back of the book:
"The Book Girl Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "deavouring a good book".  In this fun, charming fantasy novel series about the wonders of the written word.

For Touko Amano, a third-year high school student and self styled book girl, being the head of the literary club is more than just an extra curricular activity.  It's her bread and butter....literally!  Touko is actually a literature gobbling demon, who can be found at all hours of the day munching on torn out pages from all kinds of books.  But for Touko, the real delicacies are hand written stoeries.  To satisfy her gourmet tastes, she's employed (rather borwbeaten) one Konoha Inoue who scribbles away each day after school to satisfy Touko's appetite.  But when another student comes knocking on the literary club door for advice on writing love letters, will touko discover a new kind of delicacy?"

My response to the book:
This was my first Japanese story and at first I was a little confused. Somewhere about the half-way point I decided the book was pretty good.
We are led to believe that Konoha despises writing because he sees himself as fake.  So I kept wondering why he kept writing.  When Touko Tells Chia Takeda that Konoha will write love letters for her he goes along with the plan instead of standing up for himself.  The farther you got into the book the more it reminded me of nesting dolls with one mystery inside another mystery.  This is a book I enjoyed once I got used to the  writing style.  Would I purchase this book for myself?  Probably not.  It is not a genre I really care for.  And CC if you are reading this review, I hope it gives you enough information to decide whether you want to read it for yourself or not.

First Graphic Novel

Today's reading was light. I am on antibiotics due to an infections from eye surgery. I managed to read my very first graphic novel. I can see where this can have great benefits for my students, especially my non-English speaking students. The Book was called Owly: A Time To Be Brave. It is about an owl and his friends who learn that you should not be afraid of what you
don't understand. I will buy more graphic novels for my students in the future. I will however rely on other readers to make suggestions. I love words and found it difficult just looking at the pictures and trying to piece it all together when I know in my mind I should see words. Over all I gave the book a 5 and will put it on my shelf at school.