Tween

All posts in the Tween category

So B. It, by Sarah Weeks

Published March 10, 2013 by Dagmar

sobitIf you haven’t read my review of One for the Murphys, please do.  This book might be tied with One for the Murphys for my favorite book of the year.  I closed it and thought “That was a great book.”  I have a wonderful fifth grade reader who looked at me and said exactly the same thing.

Heidi was a baby when her neighbor Bernadette found her outside in the hallway with her mother.  Her mother is mentally disabled.  Heidi’s mom knows only 23 words, most of the common, but there is one that only Heidi’s mom says, “Soof”. Bernadette is agoraphobic.  Luckily, Bernie’s apartment has a connecting door with Heidi’s apartment.  Together, they survive.  Bernie manages everything, including teaching Heidi, while Heidi and her mom go out to do the shopping. Heidi wonders about her past, but her mother cannot give her any clues about it nor can Bernie.  One day, Heidi finds an old camera with undeveloped film.  She takes it in to be developed and finds a picture of her mother at a home for the mentally disabled in New York State.  Heidi is determined to find out about her mother’s past.  Her search, and the answers she finds, including the meaning of “Soof” make this book incredible.  Highly recommended for middle readers.

Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket

Published March 7, 2013 by Dagmar

unfortunateeventsThis series for those kids who don’t mind “dark”.  Yes, the children are orphans.  Yes, they are followed by creepy characters.  Yes.  Many bad things happen.  But.  These villians are no match for the three Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus and Sunny.  Violet is a 14 year old inventor with a hair ribbon.  Klaus has read every book imaginable and is a walking encyclopedia.  Sunny, just a baby, has a remarkably strong set of teeth.  All these skills, inventions, book knowledge and a strong set of teeth are the keys to these children’s survival in the 13 books that comprise this series.  Yes.  These books are dark.  But.  These books are great.

Amulet, by Kazu Kibuishi

Published February 19, 2013 by Dagmar

amuletThis graphic novel series flies off my shelves, and I constantly have to answer the question, “Why haven’t you ordered number 6!”  Those of you following the Amulet series will know that there isn’t a number 6 yet.  I can see why this book is so popular with my students.  There is a great mix of something tragic, something mysterious and a new fantasy world.  The illustrations are really beautifully done.   Highly recommended for third grade and older.

Emily and Navin lose their father in a car accident and move to a remote town with their mom.  The house they move to is an old house owned by their great grandfather Silas.  When Emily and Navin wander upstairs, they discover a room and a mysterious amulet.  When their mother is lured into a trap, the children follow her, guided by a mechanical rabbit named Miskit.  They find their great grandfather on his death bed.  He urges Emily to become the new Stonekeeper, leading her into a new world and teaching her the power of the Amulet.

Heat, by Mike Lupica

Published January 28, 2013 by Dagmar

heatI have been looking for sports books for my avid sports fans and was so happy to find Mike Lupica’s book, Heat.  If you’re a sports fan, particularly a baseball fan, this book may be for you.  This book is about a 12 year old boy, Michael, who is a Cuban refugee.  He, his brother and his father came over on a boat to Florida and are now living in the Bronx.  Michael’s father was a baseball player in Cuba and dreams that Michael’s gift as a pitcher will lead him to play in the Little League World Series. But, all is not right in Michael’s world.  His father has passed away, and his brother Carlos, 17, is afraid that the boys will be separated if they enter foster care.  So, they hide their secret with the help of their elderly neighbor and Michael’s best friend, Manny.  This book is full of great characters.   Carlos, who is working two jobs to try to pay the rent and bills is the older brother trying to do the right thing and protect his little brother.  Manny, Michael’s best friend is funny and loyal.  Ellie, the very pretty girl who is also a big baseball fan is a mysterious character.  Their neighbor, Mrs. Cora, is very warm and comforting.  I found the writing believable and felt that my middle school son would be able to relate to the characters.  Although this isn’t typically a genre I’d read, I couldn’t put it down.

Suddenly Supernatural: School Spirit, by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

Published January 23, 2013 by Dagmar

supernaturalHere’s a cute series for your tween/middle school girls who love a mystery and some supernatural powers thrown in.  This series has been flying off the shelves since I brought it into the library a few months ago.  I just had to read it to see what the fuss was about.

At first I found the “mean girls in middle school” a little boring, but I liked the main character, Kat, and her new best friend, Jac, a gifted cellist.  Kat finds out that she is able to see spirits like her mother, who is a medium.  Although she is reluctant about her new gift, she and Jac end up solving a mystery.  This book is fast-paced and fun.  I liked the mystery and didn’t mind the “not subtle” hint that there is a sequel on its way.  Lucky for my students that there are actually four books in the series – all on my shelves.  My only worry with this series is that it will date itself with its references to modern music.

Ranger’s Apprentice, by John Flanagan

Published January 15, 2013 by Dagmar

rangersapprenticeThe Ruins of Gorlan is the first book in a terrific series for late elementary and middle graders called Ranger’s Apprentice.  Will is left in a basket at Castle Redmond as a baby with only a note that says that his mother died and his father died a hero.  Will grows up as a ward of the Castle Arald.  The wards of the castle are assigned apprenticeships when they become teenagers.  Will hopes to become a warrior just as he imagines his father was.  To be a warrior, he must train at Battle School.  However, when the Choosing Day arrives, Will is apprenticed to a Ranger.  As Will learns his new trade, he also learns to appreciate the important role the Rangers hold in defending the kingdom.

Ranger’s Apprentice is an intelligent series, drawing readers in and keeping them engaged.  There are 10 books in the series and a book of Lost Stories.  Highly recommended for fourth grade through middle school.

Smile, by Raina Telgemeier

Published December 28, 2012 by Dagmar

smileWonderful! What if you knocked out your two front teeth…in middle school? Smile takes me back to the times when I had braces and when I also had to figure out which friends were truly friends.  It’s a great book that just flies off my library shelves.  I can see why.  It’s great for fifth graders and middle schoolers.  For those of you who love this book, the same author wrote another book called Drama.

Synopsis: Raina knocks out her two front teeth when she trips and falls.  So begins an odyssey that includes false teeth, retainers, braces, headgear etc.  all during middle school when everyone is as self-conscious as humanly possible.  Following Raina through middle school to high school, this book takes her through her friends’ reactions to her appearance and her first crush on a boy.  Finding that her friends are not necessarily good friends, Raina finds a new group in of friends in high school who are supportive and don’t care about her appearance.

Son, by Lois Lowry

Published December 11, 2012 by Dagmar

sonFor your kids that love dystopian novels.  Son, is the fourth novel in The Giver series.  The Giver is one of the original dystopian novels without all the violence.  Son can be read on its own, but definitely has more meaning if you’ve read the Giver and is better yet if you’ve read books two and three, Gathering Blue and Messenger.  I loved this book.  There was just the right amount of suspense, the characters were really beautifully drawn and there the element of “creepiness” that dystopian readers crave.  For those who have read the previous books, it’s fun to try to trace where this book intersects with the previous books in the Giver series.

Synopsis: Claire is assigned to be a birthmother at her 12 ceremony.  She and other girls are to give birth to “products”.  Once they’ve given birth to three products, they move on to another job in society.  Claire has difficulty with her first birth and is quickly reassigned to another job. So quickly, that those in charge forget to give her her daily pills.  Slowly her feelings for her son awaken.  Claire imagines running away with her son.  Her son, a difficult baby and toddler has been chosen for “release”.  That’s when Claire discovers that her son is missing, taken away by a boy from the community.  So begins Claire’s desperate search for her son.

Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai

Published December 5, 2012 by Dagmar

insideoutRecently, there have been a lot of novels written in verse.  I like the format and found a few books that I really enjoyed.  Here is one that I loved.  I thought the diary format and verse helped lighten the difficult issues the main character faces.  Short chapters also make it very attractive to reluctant readers.  One such reader in my library returned it to me, then promptly checked it out again, because she loved it so much.

Synopsis: This semi-autobiographical novel tells the story of Ha, a 10 year old girl living with her family in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.  Her father is a member of the South Vietnamese navy and is missing in action.  Ha lives alone with her mother and brothers.  Ha longs for the papayas to ripen on her papaya tree and hopes that her father will return from his mission so that her mother can smile.  The family reluctantly leaves South Vietnam with their uncle on a South Vietnamese navy ship.  Conditions are terrible on the ship.  Everyone is hungry until a U.S. Navy ship arrives, providing food and a tow to a refugee camp in Guam.  The family is asked to choose a country where they would like to live.  Ha’s mother chooses the United States.  Sponsored by a family in Alabama, and dependent on the charity of others, Ha deals with being different  struggles learning English.

This book won a Newbery Honor in 2012.

One for the Murphys, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Published November 28, 2012 by Dagmar

oneforthemurphysWhat a book!  I read it in one night and was moved to tears by the end of the book.  Carley, the main character, has a wry sense of humor that I think middle schoolers and tweens can really relate to.  What really recommends this book, though, is the fact that the sixth grader I recommended it to didn’t want to return this book to the library but wanted to keep it because she loved it so much.

Synopsis: Carley Connors ends up in foster care while her mother recovers after being attacked by her stepfather.  Carley’s foster mom is Julie Murphy, is a a pretty suburban mom with three small boys.  Carley, who was also attacked by her stepfather is haunted by the memory of the attack and has a hard time liking the Murphys.  She says of her new home, “The whole place smells like dryer sheets.  Reminds me of the Lucky’s Laundromat back in Vegas, but it isn’t nearly as bright.”  Carley slowly starts to accept her foster family and even makes a friend at school.  Everything is going well until Carley’s mom wakes from her coma and Carley has to go home.