Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge

Genre: Middle Grade, Poetry
Source: I own this book

So this is the fourth poetry book I've read today. I love the month of April when I start my Poetry unit in my classroom.  This book may just bet he one that pulls in my reluctant boys.  Kevin loves nothing more than playing baseball. Suddenly he is knocked out of playing by a severe case of Mono. He barely has the strength to walk across the room. Not only can he not play baseball, but he can't go to school. When he isn't napping  he has started writing poetry. His writer father has given him a notebook. In his father's office he finds a book about writing poetry that he sneaks to his room. He doesn't want anyone to know that he is writing poetry. For him this becomes a way of looking at and dealing with so many things in his life. It is a way of connecting with his thoughts and feelings about losing his mother.  So loved this book. I can't wait to read the second one, "Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs".

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

Genre: Novel in Verse, Upper Elementary, Middle Grade
Source: I own a copy

Like Helen's book "Hidden", this book has hidden gems inside each of the diamond shaped poems. It gives us a more indepth look at the story.  This is a story of a young girl named Willow who feels like she doesn't fit in anywhere except with their dogs. She loves them. When she is finally given the opportunity to take them out on her own, something terrible happens. Willow finds out she is never alone. Part of the story is told through the voice of ancenstors. There is so much to love about this book that as I have said with the last few books, this is a must read and a must have four school book shelves.

There are always interesting things within Helen's books. I had never heard of the diamond willow. I had to look it up and realized I knew an old man years ago when I was a child who had a diamond willow cane. I thought that he had burned the diamond shape into it. It is always wonderful to learn something new as an adult.

Imperfect II by Tabatha Yeats, editor

Genre: Middle Grade, Poetry
Source: I own a copy

Once again we have a book of poetry geared toward kids. In this book we look at poetry from different perspectives. The perspective is what alter's the meaning. If you are interviewing someone about a fire that has just happened you will get different version of it based on the perspective of the person who was involved in the fire.  So it is with poetry. I can give my students the same topic, yet I will have a variety of poems, each different from the other, because they view the topic through their own unique perspective.

Through this book there are a variety of poetry forms. You have your simplest the acrostic on up to a golden shovel poem. There is something for everyone here.This is another great book I have on my shelves at school.

Spinning Through the Universe by Helen Frost

Genre: Middle Grade, Poetry, Novel in Verse
Source: I own a copy

Once again another favorite author. Helen Frost writes novels in verse. This is a book of poems from "room 214". This is a book that kids will be able to identify with. Although the teacher and students in this book are fiction, they could be any teacher or any student anywhere. She touches on topics such as; bikes. Jon's bike has gone missing in one poem. He talks about how special it is, noise and all. Then on the next page we read a poem by Andrew who took the bike because he had seen it lying in the rain. He didn't steal it because he wanted it. He took it to fix it up and return to Jon in better condition. There are poems about abuse, families and babies.  These are all topics kids deal with today. Helen's books are a must for all school and classroom libraries. I think the thing I enjoy the most about her books is at the back of each one. She has a section on the forms of poems she used and how to write them. Since reading her books I write more poetry and I have my students write more poetry. This is a must read.

One Last Word by Nikki Grimes

Genre: Middle Grade, Poetry
Source: I own this book

I was first introduced to this book through another author. Helen Frost writes books in verse. One of my students asked how in her book "Hidden" she had written an extra message at the end of each line. I asked her and she told me it was through Nikki Grimes and her Golden Shovel Poems that she had copied this method.  She told me I needed to purchase this book, so I did. This is perfect since my students must create a book of their own original poems each year.  One of my requirements is that they must write at least one Golden Shovel Poem. Through her book and the wonderful illustrations we learn about a time in history most students of any color know little about, "The Harlem Renaissance". When she talks about that time int he front of her book we learn that this was a time where art was used to tell what life was like for black through their own perspective.  This isn't a book just for the blacks. This is a book for all races as we all face some of the same obstacles. Through her poetry we learn so much. We also see how some of what we hoped we would leave behind is still with us today.  This is such a wonderful book for so many reason and should be in every classroom.

Dayana, Dax, and the Dancing Dragon

Written by Ballerina Konora and Illustrated by Olha Tkachenko

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Genre: Children's picture book

                This was a mother-daughter collaboration.  The story is beautiful. Dayana  eagerly awaited the arrival of her new brother. She couldn’t wait to dance with him. When he arrived she was disappointed he couldn’t do anything. This didn’t prevent her from loving him and playing with him. One day while dancing for him he rolls onto his back and makes some baby sounds. Kadeena the dancing dragon appears and dances first  with her baby brother then with Dayana.

                Here is what made me love this story. First you have a story filled with love. There is the love of dance, the love shared between  a young girl and her brother, and the love of dance.  On each page you have Ballerina Konora showing the young child how to dance certain steps. Not only does she demonstrate a unique and fun way to do the different movements, but she also uses the dance terminology.  It is a fun interactive book. I know of no mother who has not picked up their child and danced with them. This is fun  to read.

                I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the illustrations. They are fun, bright and colorful. The drawing are realistic enough that older children and adults will love the pictures. They are bright and playful enough for the youngest child.  Overall this is a beautiful book. I look forward to reading the others in this series.

The World Inside My Plastic Mirror by Christopher Francis

 

Genre: Middle Grade, Science Fiction

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

As I read this I kept thinking about my students. I teach in a middle school and what Aubrey is going through at school could happen to any of my own students. Aubrey is like so many students who don’t fit in with the ‘popular’ crowd. She tries to keep all attention off of her but as you know that never happens. It seems the harder a person tries the more conspicuous they become. Aubrey opens her locker door one day and sees the face of a boy looking back at her. This boy tells her he needs her help. Aubrey’s best friend Charlie is another outcast. He has been at the mercy of the ‘popular’ group.  The head of this group is a girl named Megan Knight. She is about as nasty as they come.  Together the three of them will be drawn into an adventure involving the boy in the mirror.  I loved the book. I hated the very ending unless there is a sequel planned for it. It left me hanging and wanting to know what will happen next. This author is very talented. I have several of his other books. I am looking forward to reading them all.

After the Fall by Craig DeMartino

Genre: Adult, Christian, Inspirational
Source: I purchased a copy

I have never had a desire to rock climb. It might have something to do with my fear of heights, or worse yet, my fear of falling.  I will however read books and watch movies about people who do this.

This book is amazing. This is the story of a man who fell 100 feet while rock climbing. By all accounts he should have died that day. A few miraculous things happened that prevented that. First he struck a tree that slowed his descent. Then he managed to twist his body in a manner that when he landed it didn’t kill him, but messed him up big time.  There were several other things that played a part in his fall and rescue. He landed in the one place that they were able to get cell reception. He had his phone on him instead of in his car. The people who came to rescue him were familiar with the area and made it in record time.  This is a book about not just a man’s journey to survive and heal, but more importantly a man’s journey back to God and the purpose God had for him. Before the accident Craig and his wife were Christians, but didn’t live very close to God. After the accident Craig had to rely on God for so much. He started question God as to what his purpose was in all of this. I am a firm believer that sometimes God has to hit us over the head with a two by four to get our attention. The fall was Craig’s two by four. Casually sharing with people how God helped him not only that day but every day after became a first step. Learning to step out on faith when he had his badly damaged leg amputated and then having the courage to begin climbing again is another example.  Yes, we know that this book and climbing could be a metaphor for the mountains we often have to climb to get back to a relationship with God. However, this is just straight forward, ‘look what God has done with my life and  how he has blessed me after my accident. Look how he has taken something I deemed so bad and used it for something good.’  This is one of the most inspirational books I have read this year. I highly recommend it. You don’t have to be a rock climber to enjoy this book. It is inspirational in the fact that it shows us how much we as Christians need to hold tight to God, to keep our priorities in order. It shows us that no matter what terrible thing happens that God is there to walk with us on that journey.

Beyond the Storm by Carolyne Zane

I was on Spring Break this week. One of my goals was to catch up on reading. That didn't go as planned. However, I spent several days reading and below is one of those books. Unfortunately for me, when reading about quilts, whether fiction or not I start thinking about quilts. This is why my reading goal didn't get met.  I got side tracked and planned an entire quilt for my bed and a throw for my mother-in-law. However, I loved this series. See my review below

Genre: Christian, Romance
Source: I purchased a copy 

The idea of this story was great from the beginning. It is the story of a tornado that ripped a town apart. But, it is much more than that. The storm could also be seen to represent the storms or trials in our lives. Through the making of a quilt made from scraps of fabric found by the local hairdresser after the storm. We see how each piece of fabric helps make sense of the tragedy and the part the person played in the lives of those in the town. Creating the quilt, putting it together piece by piece is the way we have to put our lives back together after we weather our own life storms. The center patch belonged to a man who made Jesus a part of his daily life. It is the interconnectedness of those he touched along with the interconnectedness of the quilt pieces that make this such a wonderful book. The book doesn’t come off as preachy. It is a demonstration of a life lived the way Christ would want us to live life. Just another reminder that in life’s storms we need to turn to and rely on God. He is truly the only one who has control. This is the first book in this series and was by an author I was not familiar with. I am looking forward to reading the others in the series.

I Survived The Hindenburg Disaster, 1937 by Lauren Tarshis

Genre: Upper Elementary, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Adventure

Source: I own a copy 

Hugo, his sister Gertie, their parents and their dog Panya are going to America on the Hindenburg.  They had spent the previous year in Kenya. Hugo’s parents are scientists. They have loved it there, but Gertie got malaria. They have only the hope of new medicine in America to save her life. On the Hindenburg, Hugo and his family are introduced to the man in charge of the Hindenburg and his daughter. There are Nazi soldiers on board because they are looking for a spy.  All of this is tense enough. When the actual event happens you get a small feel for what it was like inside the Hindenburg when it burst into flames and hit the ground. All of this took a little over thirty seconds. I was handed this book by one of my students and told I needed to read it over Spring Break. I am glad I did. I highly recommend it.