Ultimate Magic by T.A. Barron - ADVISABLE

Barron, T.A. Merlin’s Dragon: Ultimate Magic, 223 pgs. Philomel Books, 2010.

Language – G, Sexual Content – G; Violence – PG;

There is about to be yet another battle for Avalon. Basilgarrad stands with meager forces up against a trained army both in the air and on the ground. He feels alone and overwhelmed as he fights for the land he loves, but fights hard in order to live through this battle in order to fight one more. The battle that will end in defeat of the monster responsible for it all or saying goodbye to Avalon.

Overwhelming despair is triumphed by wisdom and a bit of luck at the very moment that death seems to be inevitable. This and the always present touching scenes about the lives of the most daring characters made this book fun to read. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to, though, because I haven’t read the first two. The absence of those books made it confusing, but only took a little from the otherwise enjoyable tale.

MS – ADVISABLE. Student Reviewer: CCH

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers - ADVISABLE

Jeffers, Oliver Stuck Philomel Books, 2011, $16.99. Content G- PICTURE BOOK. Floyd’s kite gets stuck in a tree. When conventional removal methods are not successful, Floyd tries some pretty crazy things to get the stuck kite out of the tree.  Such a cute book. I can see it becoming a fast favorite. The artwork is very bright and eye-catching. EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE.  Shauna, reading teacher.

Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn - NOT RECOMMENDED

Cohn, Rachel Very LeFreak 303, pgs. Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. Language – PG-13 (13+ swears, 12+ “f”), Sexual Content – R; Violence – G; The sexual content was not something I wanted to continue reading, so I stopped at page 64. Very is a stupid and irresponsible college freshman. She breaks rules and hearts like nobody’s business. This story wasn’t interesting enough to make me want to keep reading. HS – NO. Student Reviewer: CCH

FROM CINDY:  As always, if you disagree with our student reviewer, you are welcome to leave a well-constructed review of your own in our comments!

Being Wendy by Fran Drescher - ESSENTIAL

Drescher, Fran. Being Wendy Grosset & Dunlap, 2011, $17.99. Content G- PICTURE BOOK.

Wendy has to choose a box to wear and is having a hard time deciding what she wants to be. Wendy feels like she should be able to do more than just one thing and shouldn’t limit herself.

With characters like Mrs. Reedenwright, the schoolteacher and a police officer named Miranda Wrights, parents and kids will love the message this book sends about not limiting yourself. The color scheme and artwork are very retro; it reminds me of an episode of I Dream of Jeannie.

ESSENTIAL - EL (K-3) MS, Shauna, reading teacher.

The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill - OPTIONAL

Barnhill, Kelly The Mostly True Story of Jack, 323 pgs. Little, Brown and Company, 2011. $16.99. Language- G (0 swears); Sexual Content-G; Violence-PG. Nobody notices Jack at home in San Francisco, but when his parents send him to Hazelwood, Iowa  to spend the summer with his eccentric Aunt and Uncle, everyone seems to take notice; Jack makes friends for the first time in his life with local kids Wendy, Frankie, and Anders. The town bully, Clayton, beats him up, which is better than not being noticed, and Clayton’s father, Mr. Avery, who is the most powerful man in Hazelwood seems to be plotting against Jack, he may even want him dead.  Upon Jack’s arrival in Hazelwood, his Uncle Clive gives him a book to read, the history of Hazelwood, which tells some pretty strange stories that at first Jack thinks are fairy tales, but when he discovers that children in Hazelwood mysteriously disappear and the adults seem to forget about them, he realizes that the book may hold the key to unlocking the mystery. I found this story to be a very original and also complicated fantasy. Aficionados of the genre may feel otherwise, but the plot was just really confusing. Fans of Harry Potter, CS Lewis, and Lemony Snicket may enjoy this tale. EL, MS - OPTIONAL. Anna Schneider MS Library Media Specialist

Snowed Under and Other Christmas Confusions by Serge Bloch - ADVISABLE

Bloch, Serge. Snowed Under and Other Christmas Confusions. Sterling Children’s Books, 2011. $12.95. Content G- PICTURE BOOK. Oh Idioms, we love to use them and hate when we don’t understand what they mean. This book is full of Christmas and non-Christmas idioms. The illustrations are the literal translation of the idiom. Example: “that’s just the way the cookie crumbles” has a picture of a broken cookie and it’s crumbles. This book would be great for middle school kids and ELLs (English Language Learners) that have a pretty good grasp of the English Language. One downside is that it does not define the idioms so if you don’t know what “when pigs fly” means, you won’t after reading this book. MS, EL, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE. Shauna, reading teacher.

Nina in That Makes Me Mad by Hilary Knight - NOT RECOMMENDED

Knight, Hilary and Steven Kroll Nina in That Makes Me Mad, 32 pgs. Toon Books/Candlewick Press, 2011. $12.95. Content - G. A graphic novel/comic book-stye exploration of the many, many things that make Nina mad. While a lot of children will relate to the frustrations Nina experiences, the thirty pages of examples showcase a slew of infuriating situations with only two pages, at the very end, showing how to deal with the resulting anger. This imbalance takes what could be a book about learning to deal with anger and frustration, and instead turns it into one long whine-fest. Perhaps if it were part of a series the others would balance it out, but as a standalone it left me with a very negative feeling. EL - NOT RECOMMENDED. Reviewed by: Caryn.

The Devil’s Breath by David Gilman - ADVISABLE

Gilman, David The Devil’s Breath, 389 pgs. Delacorte Press, 2007. Language – PG (26 swears, 0 “f’”), Sexual Content – PG; Violence PG; Someone is trying to kill Max. His father is missing, maybe dead. Max has to be careful about who he trusts as he goes to Africa on his mission to find his dad and keep them both alive. But does he even realize who the bad guys are? Max’s adventure trapped me in its pages. There was intense action from the first few pages that kept me hanging on until the very last sentence. I loved the suspense that kept me entranced, and the unforgettable characters. MS, HS – ADVISABLE. Student Reviewer: CCH

Split! Splat! by Amy Gibson - OPTIONAL

Gibson, Amy  Split! Splat! Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman PICTURE BOOK Scholastic, 2012. $16.99 Content: G  A little girl and her dog go out to enjoy a rainy day.  They splash through mud puddles enjoying the rain falling and when the sun comes out they shake off the rain and enjoy the sun.  This book is told in sing-song verse that is fun to read to small children, with each page containing little text and great illustrations.  My suggestion for this book would be to make it a board book.  It’s a bit long for a picture book that mostly makes sound words, but would make for a great board book.  PRE-K-OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.

I Wanna New Room by Karen Kaufman Orloff - ESSENTIAL

Orloff, Karen Kaufman and David Catrow I Wanna New Room, 32 pgs. G.P. Putnam's Sons / Penguin Young Readers, 2010. $16.99. Content - G. PICTURE BOOK.

In this hilarious story told in a series of notes, Alex tries to convince his parents he shouldn't have to share a room with his little brother. Alex's imaginative reasoning is eclipsed only by the delightfully whimsical pictures throughout, and the satisfying ending makes the story worth the read. While this book stands alone very nicely, it also ties into the authors' earlier book, I Wanna Iguana.

EL - ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: Caryn

Ice Claw by David Gilman - ADVISABLE

Gilman, David Ice Claw, 433 pgs. Delacorte Press, 2008. Language – PG (28 swear, “f”), Sexual Content – PG; Violence – PG; Max is in France for an extreme sports competition, but he doesn’t know how extreme his life is about to get. Again. Max gets wrapped up in two seemingly unrelated situations and has to figure them out. That’s what his dad would’ve done. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know who to trust or that he has a time limit. After reading The Devil’s Breath, I had high expectations for Ice Claw; they were exceeded. The action was more intense and I got even more into it after every page. Through the moments of despair and moments of triumph, I was right there with Max, Sayid, Bobby, or whoever else was there. I completely loved the plot twists and am anxiously looking forward to the next book. MS, HS – ADVISABLE. Student Reviewer: CCH

Talk, Talk, Squawk! by Nicola Davies - OPTIONAL

Davies, Nicola. Talk, Talk, Squawk! Candlewick Press, 2011, $14.99. Content G- NON-FICTION/PICTURE BOOK. This book tells and shows how different species communicate without saying a word. It analyzes and unlocks that mystery of how animals talk to each other. The illustrations are cartoon-like and a few are slightly inappropriate. The information is informative and succinct. It’s a great and entertaining reference book. EL, MS - OPTIONAL, Shauna, reading teacher.

The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan - ADVISABLE

Brennan, Sarah Rees The Demon’s Lexicon, 322 pgs. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2009. Language – PG (21 swears, 0 “f”), Sexual Content – PG; Violence – PG; Nick and Alan have been running from magicians for years, moving from house to house. But this move is different. This time, Black Arthur wants “it” back and is coming after “it.” Nick has also discovered a secret that will make his world fall to pieces around him. Coincidence? Probably not. I found this book very exhilarating to read right from the get go. There was action everywhere and deceit was uncovered every step of the way, making it intense even from an outside view. The plot-twist was definitely the best part because it never occurred to me. MS, HS – ADVISABLE. Reviewer: CCH

The Power of Cute by Mericle Harper - OPTIONAL

Harper, Mericle. The Power of Cute. PICTURE BOOK. Robin Corey Books, 2011, $10.99.

Content-G

When a huge monster tries to scare a little baby, she fights back with the only superpower she has, cute.

The book has some moveable parts and a few pop-ups. It’s a pretty cute book and fun to read.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL.

Shauna, reading teacher.

The Fat Boy Chronicles by Diane Lang - ADVISABLE

Lang, Diane The Fat Boy Chronicles, 217 pgs. Sleeping Bear Press, 2009.

Language – PG (16 swears, 0 “f”), Sexual Content – PG-13; Violence – PG

Jimmy is an obese freshman in high school who gets ridiculed a lot. Jimmy never thought there was anything wrong with his weight until this year. Now he is made fun of everyday and even considers suicide, but he doesn’t really want to die. That’s why he decides to become less fat, but as Jimmy takes control of his life, his few friends' lives fall to pieces. How will they all survive high school?

I loved and hated reading this book because it is so true! I was just a freshman and I can tell you from experience that no one can possibly be more mean then high school students. It makes me happy that Jimmy finally learned to ignore the jerks and be his own person. You can always take control of your own life and I love how Jimmy’s story shows that everyone can survive high school.

MS, HS – ADVISABLE. Reviewer: CCH

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Laurel Long - ESSENTIAL

Long, Laurel. The Twelve Days of Christmas. Dial Books, 2011 $16.99. Content G-PICTURE BOOK. The popular Christmas story and song comes alive in this beautiful book. The illustrations are amazing and finely detailed and just like the song repeats, Long has repeated each gift over and over hidden within the artwork of the new gift. This book truly is a keepsake. It’s beautiful enough to display, but has the hidden element that any age will enjoy reading over and over. GIFT - ESSENTIAL.  Shauna, reading teacher.

White Crane by Sandy Fussell - ADVISABLE

Fussell, Sandy Samurai Kids: White Crane, 237 pgs. Candle Wick Press, 2010. Language – G, Sexual Content – G; Violence – PG; The Cockroach Ryu is a ryu for the unwanted, the freaks. Niya and his friends have missing limbs, extra digits, and other problems to overcome when training to become samurai. They are now halfway through training and heading for The Games. There they will stick out like a sore thumb and be laughed at, but this year, they aren’t the only crippled ones. It’s exciting to see these kids overcome their obstacles. I also loved the pieces of wisdom their Sensei told them (especially the ones about cockroaches being mightier than dragons). These are only a couple examples of the greatness of this book, but they aren’t my favorite lesson. My favorite thing about this book is that it shows that even if you’re lacking something, you don’t have to be a cripple. You are only a cripple if you let it hinder you. MS – ADVISABLE. Reviewer: CCH

Cassandra’s Angel by Gina Otto - ESSENTIAL

Otto, Gina Cassandra’s Angel Sterling Children’s Books, 2011. $14.95. Content G- PICTURE BOOK. When Cassandra is surrounded by negative thinking people and struggles with following directions, she feels as if she can do nothing right nor be the kind of person no one wants to be around. When Cassandra thinks her situation can’t get much worse, a very special person visits her and helps to put her world in perspective. I thought this book was going to be a little cheesy, but ended up having compassion for Cassandra and kids everywhere that struggle with one issue or another. The flow of the story is written rhyming couplets and the artwork is beautiful. EL – ESSENTIAL.   Shauna, reading teacher.

Kyle’s Island by Sally Derby - OPTIONAL

Derby, Sally Kyle’s Island, 191 pgs. Charlesbridge, 2010. Language – PG (8 swears, 0 “f”), Sexual Content – G; Violence – G; Kyle and his family have been going to their lake cottage every summer since the beginning of time. However, this summer, their Dad isn’t there and they have to sell the beloved cottage. This is their last year here and nobody likes it one bit. What’s Kyle going to do to protect his haven? What WON’T he do? I liked reading it, but it wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped. I enjoyed the story, appreciated the happy ending, and was glad that Kyle was able to “mend his fences,” but I still wish it had a more exciting feel. MS – OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH

Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond - ADVISABLE

Drummond, Ree Charlie the Ranch Dog. Harper, 2011, $16.99. Content G-PICTURE BOOK. Charlie the Basset Hound along with his sidekick, Suzie have many adventures on the ranch. Charlie thinks he’s the one taking care of all the business, but Suzie shows us otherwise. I liked the playfulness of the book and it did a great job of showing how different breeds of dogs have their strengths and weaknesses.  ADVISABLE, Elementary. Shauna, reading teacher.