The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin by Susan Goldman Rubin

Genre: Children, Biography, Holocaust
Source: I own a copy

When Ela Stein was a young child she and many other family members were shipped to Terazin. This was a Czech ghetto.  Shortly before they were shipped to Terazin her father was taken away for expressing his opinion about Hitler. That was the last that Ela saw of her father. In the ghetto her mother made a hard choice to send Ela and her sister to a barrack that was specifically for girls around her age. The living conditions were somewhat better and they received a little more food. The girls in room 28 formed a tight group. Soon someone decided they were going to present an opera. They practiced and practiced.  At one point the Nazis used their production for propaganda.  This book is a book that shows us what friendship and music can do to help people survive. It was a ray of hope in their lives.   This is a short book to read, but filled with so much information and lots of pictures to help understand.

Advanced Reading Instruction In Middle School: A Novel Approach - Janice I. Robbins, Rh.D.

Genre: Educational

Source: I received a copy from LibraryThing

I received this quite some time ago. I took it to school with me and completely forgot to write my review. So many books I have on my school shelves or have shared with other teachers are all about working with reluctant readers. This book is all about working with those gifted students who read well but don’t respond to the same types of lessons. 

The book starts off with information to help students choose a variety of books. From there it shows you how to help students interact with the books. I have my students keep a notebook. One of the things they use the notebook for is to write down things that pop into their head as they read. They also write down words, phrases or sentences that they find interesting for whatever reason.

There is a section that talks about asking questions about the novel. For those teachers who think that it is ridiculous that someone should talk to them about asking questions, I am here to tell you that after almost thirty years of teaching it is easy to fall into a rut. We need books like this to help remind us of all those great ideas we had when we first started teaching.

For me this book, full of ideas for the gifted reader, but  has ideas that will work for those reluctant readers as well. I loved the sections on different genres. This book is something that every beginning teacher should have.

Silent Death by Ron Ripley

Genre: Adult, Horror

Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing

This is the first book in this series that I have read. I have now had to go back and purchase the others.  Abel Worthe is one extremely wicked and mixed up man. Money has always bought him what he wanted. He has a whole village of ghosts he has had trapped for years. Amongst all of these ghosts is a young boy named Alex. He can see and communicate with the ghosts, and more. Abel wants him removed from the village. He doesn’t seem to care what it might cost in lives.  Add to this mix a young teen ghost, the most evil of all and you have a wonderful story you will read from beginning to end.  Kimberly killed her whole family with a hatchet. She likes nothing more than killing people and ripping out their voice box. Here reason for this is just as crazy. I was drawn in to a story I couldn’t put down, from the very first chapter.  This is one of those book I can’t say too much about because to do so would create all kinds of spoilers. I will say this much. I will be reading the books before this one and the next one. This author has a new follower.

Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Genre:  Adult, autobiography

Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing. The opinions expressed here are my own.

For those of us who grew up reading the “Little House on the Prairie” series, this book is a must read. When I first started student teaching almost thirty years ago I created a whole unit around Laura Ingalls Wilder and her books.  I had just about anything that had been written about her. One flood took all of that away. When I saw this book I knew it was a must read. After reading this book you will discover how much of her series was true to life. Like any author, things were changed in her children’s books to fit the age, theme or character she had created. This is not a book for the younger child. However, the older teen who like me fell in love with who this author was would really enjoy this book . For me I grew up in the country. I lived in a house that got an  indoor  bathroom not too many years before we moved in, so I was very familiar with and hated, outhouses.  A lot of the things Laura grew up with, I did too. We lived in a modern house, yet so much from my great-grandmother was there and we were expected to use it. I think having that connection is what made the books so real and special to me. Knowing the extra’s I’ve learn through this book and others helped me reconnect.

This book is full of pictures and references. That is one thing I really enjoy because it adds another layer to my learning about this most beloved author. I knew from years back that Laura’s daughter Rose helped her turn her story into the fictionalized stories I read as a child. For me that made it even more special.  There was just something  special about Laura  taking her own life events and putting them into a story that children in future generations would be able to connect.  For anyone who has every read “The Little House Series” and want to know more about the author and their creation, then this is a must read.  This book is special enough to me that I have directions that it will go to my granddaughter Haylee when I am gone. When she first started reading chapter books I introduced her to Laura’s series. I wanted my granddaughter to grow up know what a wonderful story looked like. We discuss her books all the time.  So I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone who has loved Laura Ingalls Wilder.

I Escaped the California Camp Fire by Scott Peters and S.D. Brown

Genre: Upper Elementary, Middle Grade, Adventure

Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers

For a small book this packs a powerful punch. Fourteen-year-old Troy is left in charge of his younger sister while his parents are away for twenty-four hours. Troy wakes to his cell phone ringing, his dog tugging on his sleeve and pitch blackness.  Unable to reach their parents Troy goes next door to the neighbor for advice. Mrs. Jones makes it clear they should stay put. When Troy sees houses on their street erupt in flames he decides they have to leave. Unfortunately he can’t convince Mrs. Jones. Troy loads up his sister and their two pets in their dad’s Bronco and heads for what he hopes is safety. 

This book is full of realistic action between the older brother and younger sister. He takes his promise to his parents to protect his sister even when she becomes annoying. This is fast-paced, on the seat of your chair action from the very beginning.  For those who are fans of the “I Survived “ series by Lauren Tarshis, I guarantee that you will enjoy this series. I highly recommend this to all adventure readers.

Behind the Bookcase by Mark Steensland

Genre: Upper Elementary, Middle Grade, Mystery

Source: I purchased a copy

If you like creepy mysteries then I recommend this book to you. Sarah and Billy will be spending their summer fixing up her late grandmother’s house to sell. Sarah’s mother just wants to get things done and the house sold. She has never liked the house and she believes that her own mother was a little crazy. The reason it that Sarah’s grandmother used to tell some pretty crazy stories to her mom. While cleaning things out Sarah finds an unfinished letter from her grandmother. She states that “strange things are happening behind the bookcase.”  When Sarah finds an opening behind the bookcase she just has to see where it leads. Unfortunately it dumps her into the land of Scotopia. But things aren’t what they seem in Scotopia either. Why would her grandmother leave her an unfinished note and what is it that she is supposed to do or learn?  Why is there a locked door in the basement that no one seems to have the key to?

This book is full of secrets, a talking cat with his own evil agenda and fantastic worlds.  More importantly the message of the importance of family with all of their quirks is a main theme running throughout this book. I am sad that I had the book with me at home when we were forced into online school. None of this year’s students got the opportunity to read this wonderful book. However, I will make sure that next year’s students hear all about it.

Free Verse by Sarah Dooley

Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Source: I purchased a copy

Sasha is a young girl living in foster care. For a long time it was Sasha her brother Michael and her father. The coal mines took her father. Michael is her everything. He tells her that one day they will leave the small town of Caboose. Before that can happen her firefighter brother is killed on the job.

Sasha’s reflex reaction is to run away. Sasha is introduced to poetry. Through this she finds a way to find herself, to deal with those shadows in her soul. This book was so much more than I expected. I thought it would be a simple book with some nice poetry. Instead I found a girl who has lost her way. While in foster care she learns she is related to the neighbors.  This story is full of different layers. There are so many things for readers to relate to, loss, death, foster care, finding your way through the hardships of poverty.  There are so many things this book can teach.  I absolutely loved it.

The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate:

Genre: Children, Middle Grade, Realistic

Source: I purchased a copy

Katherine Applegate has another winner with this book. Bob is a dog we first met in the book, “The One and Only Ivan”. Bob lived in the mall with Ivan and Ruby. Now Ivan and Ruby live in a zoo not too far from Bob’s new house. He was adopted by Julia whose father works at the zoo. Through this book, we learn how Bob became the dog he is. We understand how his personality was developed.  He is a scrappy dog who has learned to survive on his own. He feels guilty about his survival when all his siblings did not survive.   Bob goes with Julia and her dad to the zoo to visit Ivan and Ruby while Julia’s dad is making sure things are ready for an approaching hurricane. No one expected a sudden tornado. Once again Bob has to survive.  Then he is given a second opportunity when he thinks he hears the bark of one of his siblings.

I love this story that is told from Bob’s perspective. It is funny, sarcastic and his view of humans and the world around him make this so fun to read. We see Bob change throughout the book the way a human character changes. This makes him so believable. Not only will this book be on my shelf at school at the beginning of next year, but my grandchildren will also be receiving a copy. Everyone should have the opportunity to read this book.

Monsterland Reanimated by Michael Okon

Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Horror

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

While going through a notebook I found a handful of book reviews I had written but had not posted. What you will find for the next few days will be those reviews.

In the first book we find a situation that has gone terribly wrong. By gathering up zombies, werewolves and vampires and putting them into one area and opening it up to the public Victor Konrad has created a situation that almost destroys the world.

Reading this is like watching a movie. I think it would make a wonderful movie.  You have it all, governments that do things for the wrong reasons, scientists who have their own agendas, people who are greedy and looking for power. You know in the movies when all of these things come together you are going to have the ride of your life. This book is no different.  The author even addresses the issue of stereotyping people.  Wyatt and his friends and family are out to save their town from what is coming.  The author introduced a new monster to the book, the Glob.  I grew up watching every Saturday night a show called, “Nightmare Theater”. One of the most terrifying things a young middle school aged kid can watch, ALONE, is a blob that devours people.  This book brought back those horrifying, yet wonderful memories.  This is a book you can easily lose yourself in and read in one sitting. Highly recommended.

Nevers Sara Cassidy

Genre: Elementary, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Source: I purchased a copy

This was a fun and funny book. I would say this is perfect for upper elementary and lower middle school. However, as an adult I found this a pleasure to read.

Odette is a  young girl who must take care of her mother Annalise. Annalise seems to have a habit of accidently killing people. They have come into the small French town of Nevers.  All Odette wants is to find a place they cans stay and call home and to fit in, maybe have a friend.  Odette finds a friend in a young boy named Nicois. The town is full of strange people. There is man who likes to smell people’s hands, and a man who wants to be a chicken. There is a pig and chick that have become inseparable, and then there is the donkey that brays in Latin every night. The strange thing is that Odette understands him. Odette’s mother has brought about some trouble for them because she has been looking for a box she hid under a bridge years before. Someone else is looking for it as well.

The book is a mixture of some fantasy, mystery and a bit of historical fiction all rolled into one great book. Kids will love this because they will be able to identify with the characters. This is a book I would highly recommend to readers of all ages.