The Last Grand Adventure by Rebecca Behrens

When I was 15 my grandmother took me on a cross-country bus trip, from Wisconsin to Washington D.C.  It was the first time I had ever traveled outside the Midwest, this was a huge adventure for me!  I admired my grandmother, she was quite the adventurer.  She was truly an independent free spirit, often traveling alone, with tour groups, or in this case - her granddaughter - to see the world.

I thought about my adventure with my grandmother often as I read The Last Grand Adventure.  Like Bea, I was more of a worrier as a kid, but had that secret desire to have a “grand adventure”.  

Before I even started reading this this book, the tidbit that caught my attention, was the genre - historical fiction from the 1960’s, but also it deals with the the mysterious disappearance of Amelia Earhart. As a kid I had always been fascinated with Amelia Earhart.  How could someone that famous, mysteriously disappear without a trace?  Even now there are still clues surfacing as to what actually happened.  Reading the book I found I had to keep reminding myself that the story, though a work of historical fiction, was just that  - fiction.  Still, I kept asking myself, what if?

It’s safe to say that I fell in love with Beatrice and Pidge.  This is just one of those stories that I did not want to end.  The messages it delivers will fill readers with hope - hope for family, believing in the impossible, and finding our true adventurous spirit.  The story and characters will stay with readers long after the book is done.

The Many Worlds of Albie Bright

Losing someone you love -it’s unimaginable.  But for Albie Bright the unimaginable has happened.  His mum,  she’s also a brilliant scientist, dies of cancer.  Albie is devastated - that is until he learns from his equally brilliant scientist of a father, that there is the slight probability that his mum may still be alive - in a parallel universe!  With the help of his mum’s laptop and his own determination, Albie sets out to find a way to travel to parallel universes and discover if his mum is actually still alive and well in another dimension.  But what else might be different in a parallel universe.  Albie doesn’t have time to find out.

The beauty of science fiction is that it leaves you ponder “what if?” and “could this really happen?”. I’ll admit quantum physics has never been my area of expertise but as I was reading this book, and rooting for Albie, I found myself wondering, could this really happen?  I even went so far as to have a discussion about quantum physics and parallel universes with a nephew of mine that recently graduated with a degree in physics.

Albie’s mum gave her son the perfect advice to guide his exploration: “You only find out what’s possible by trying to do the impossible.”  

Here’s something else to ponder - thanks to Albie’s Quantum Banana Theory, I have yet to eat another banana since reading this book!

The Player King

One of the reasons I enjoy reading historical fiction so much is that  it offers the opportunity to learn about different periods of time from the past, while still reading for pleasure.  So it was with great excitement that I learned about a new novel from one of my favorite authors, Avi.  The Player King, set to be released October 17, takes place in England in the late 1400s.  It's the story of how young Lambert Simnel, a simple kitchen boy, becomes entwined with noblemen who wish to overthrow the King.

Even though my knowledge of this time period is not extensive, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  Lambert is a likeable character that does not let himself fall into the role of victim, despite having to deal with some not very reputable adults.  In fact for awhile he living the dream of many young boys of this time period.

Historical fiction is usually based on real life events with sometimes fictional characters.  However, as I read this novel I kept find myself asking, could this actually have happened?  Be sure to read the author's note at the end of the book - it’s a fascinating story!

The End of the Wild by Nicole Helgert

Is there a sign when childhood has ended?  For eleven-year-old Fern it’s the streak of gray that already runs through her hair.  Fern’s had to grow up quickly ever since her mom’s tragic accident. Her stepfather works when he can, which lately hasn't been often enough.  Fern has taken on more and more responsibility - getting her two little brothers to school everyday as well as making meals which frequently requires  foraging for food in the neighboring  forest.  It’s definitely not an easy life, but many people in the town are struggling to make ends meet as well.  Then a new company moves into town with the promise of high paying jobs for many of the town's residents including Fern’s stepdad and her best friend’s father.  But will this new business ruin the forest Fern loves and relies on for her family’s survival?   When her wealthy grandfather offers Fern the opportunity to live with him and have an easy life, Fern has to make some difficult decisions.

This novel is great read that tackles the tangled web of poverty, family, friendship and the environment.  It will be both a “mirror” and “window” to help readers understand what life is like for children living in poverty and how life changing decisions are never easy to make.

Read this book, it just may make you reconsider some things you thought you already knew.

"Fern," she says, ‘don’t ever be ashamed of being poor.  I’ve never met a strong woman who had an easy go of things early on."

Zinnia and the Bees by Danielle Davis

This book for me was a perfect example of why readers need to move beyond the cover of a book to discover the treasure inside!  When I first saw the book Zinnia and the Bees, it was completely new to me.  I hadn’t heard any buzz (pun intended!) so I was completely in the dark.  When I saw the cover my reaction was, hmm…. A book about a girl with bees in her hair…… not to sure about this…  Boy am I glad I just picked up the book and started reading anyway!  This may sound corny, but I liked Zinnia almost from page one - she and her brother Adam start the story yarn bombing!  How could I resist a character that knits!  And it’s not just a simple hobby for Zinnia, she knits to relieve stress - and she has a ton of stress the summer after seventh grade!  Nothing seems to be going right for her lately - losing her best friends, having a mom she refers to as “Mrs. Flossdrop” instead of “mom”, her only brother disappears, and then the bees decide to move in!

Part mystery, part realistic fiction, and part fantasy, the plights of Zinnia and the bees are intertwined throughout the story.  Somehow Zinnia must find her brother, fix her life and get rid of the bees, but is it possible?  Her mom doesn’t seem to care that her brother is missing and the bees aren't leaving.  Thankfully Zinnia meets someone who just might have the key to help her solve more than one problem in her life.

“I tell him everything.  I take steps toward him instead of away……….   And then, when I’m done, he looks at me and nods.  He doesn’t say anything.  He’s the ocean again.  Breathing in and out, there to catch whatever I throw.”

***  Happy coincidence - a met a friend for lunch and the downtown area had just been yarn bombed!  

Pug and Pig Trick or Treat by Sue Lowell Gallion

‪How do you summarize a picture book in 140 characters or less?  Twitter is such a great way to spread the word quickly about wonderful books, but writing the praises of these books succinctly is definitely the challenge! After reading the recently published new picture book in the Pug and Pig collection that was my challenge:

“Pug and Pig Trick-or-Treat is an adorable tale of 2 critters staying true to themselves while being best friends! #BookPosse @SueLGallion ‬”

I have to admit, being a sixth grade teacher, this was my first Pug & Pig book, but I was immediately charmed by the two little critters! Joyce Wan does a beautiful job creating illustrations that bring the characters to life complete with their very own unique personalities. After reading the story and falling in love with both Pug and Pig, I was amazed at how such a simple story, actually delivers a complex message on conformity & diversity, the power of friendship, while being true to ourselves and having a good time through it all!  This book may appear to be written for the PreK and early elementary set, but don’t be fooled - this is a book that  needs to be shared with anyone and everyone who has ever felt the pressure to give up or change their own unique identity in order to fit in, be a part of group/clique, or make someone else happy!

The Middle School Rules of Jamaal Charles by Sean Jensen

When I first saw the book, The Middle School Rules of Jamaal Charles,  I have to admit I had a mixed reaction.  On one hand, the title and cover of the book excited me and piqued my curiosity:  “Middle School Rules…”, well I teach middle school, so of course a book about middle school life moves to the top of my reading list.  Then, both of the characters on the cover of the book are sports figures - another positive.  Every year I have several students that view themselves as athletes first and students not second, but more likely fourth, fifth or even the last thing that defines who they are.  So right from the start, this book had a strong pull for me.  But then….  I had absolutely no idea who Jamaal Charles was, or is?  Was he even a real person?  I had no clue.  Therefore I didn’t even know the genre of the book.  Was it a biography?  Realistic fiction?  After a little internet research I discovered that not only was Jamaal a real person, he is currently a professional football super star!  

The book is written in a very easy-to-read format.  Each of the 32 chapters (average of 3-4 pages each), is essentially a snippet of Jamal's life growing up in Port Arthur, Texas. The youngest son in a family of four boys, Jamaal was raised by his mom, grandparents, and an extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins.  Jamaal had many challenges to overcome growing up - bullying at school and academic struggles due to a learning disability.  But through it all Jamaal never gave up - he persisted and found his talent in not one, but several different sports.  Make no mistake, this is not the story of someone who just breezed into greatness.  Jamaal worked hard, overcoming many hardships and challenges that would have knocked even the strongest among us down.

As I read this book, I kept thinking to myself of students I would recommend the book to: the student that tells me he has no time to read because he has sports practice every night; the student that doesn't see herself as a reader; the student that is being raised by grandparents; the student that has dealt with bullies; the student that struggles in school; any student that just needs to read a story that shows what a lot of hard work and never giving up can do!  Many, many of our students will see themselves in Jamaal’s story.  This is a story of hope - for Jamaal - and for so many others!

Walking With Miss Millie by Tamara Bundy

The summer of 1968 has not started out well for 10 year old Alice Ann.  She has had to move to Rainbow, Georgia with her mom and little brother Eddie to take care of a grandma that insists she doesn’t need taking care of, when she remembers that is.  Alice is also missing her dad something fierce. He’s been gone since before last Christmas, but Alice thinks she has the perfect plan to help him remember how much he loves his family - when he comes back.  And then there's grandma’s neighbor, Miss Millie.  Grandma is convinced Miss Millie is up to no good, but Alice has started walking with Miss Millie and her dog every day. Unlike so many others in Alice’s life, Miss Millie doesn’t need any help remembering.  In fact Miss Millie has a story to tell and memories to share - but can these memories help Alice with her troubles?

   I have always been fascinated with the south and love reading what I like to call “southern fiction”.  When I first heard about this book, I was excited to read it and the book did not disappoint.  Walking With Miss Millie is one of those books that pulls you in makes you feel at home.  You’re right there sitting at the picnic table with Alice and Miss Millie as she shares a memory so shocking Alice forgets her own problems for a moment.  Later, Alice’s reaction when the McHale boys make their ugly taunts causes you to cheer for her.  

   Alice, Rainbow, Miss Millie and her wisdom will stay with me for a long time.

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Red is a majestic, old oak tree - 216 rings to be exact.  And in all those years he’s seen many things, both good and bad.  Red has always been able to take it all in stride.  Ever the optimist, he has the uncanny ability to view the good in whatever happens.  He watches over the neighborhood and is home to many critter families. Red is also a wishtree, people come from all over to tie their “wishes” on his branches. Red is happy and content with life, talking with his animal friends, and promoting harmony among all using his unique humor:

“But I’ve made it clear that eating your neighbors will not be allowed while I’m in charge.”

While Red is the “wishtree”, he’s careful around people.  There’s a strict rule that trees and animals do not talk to people.  Red has always followed the rules.   Now Red has a difficult choice to make, but he knows what to do, even if it means going against what he always thought was right.

This is a story of the power of hope, wishes, and friendship. Wishtree has the reader feeling a full range of emotions: scared, afraid to turn the page, then laughing out loud.  Fearing the worst and then hoping for the best.  The characters capture your heart and don’t let go.  It’s a story I’ll read again and again just to visit with Red and the animals. Red’s wisdom has important messages for all:

“I wanted to tell them that friendship doesn’t have to be hard.  That sometimes we let the world make it hard.”

Jelly Bean Summer by Joyce Magnin

It's the summer of 1968 and Joyce Ann is desperate to escape -not only from her older sister Elaine and her noisy pet guineas pig, Jelly Bean - but also from the sadness that has filled her house since her brother Bud left.  Bud is a world away fighting a war in a place called Vietnam and now he’s missing, even the government can't find him.  

Joyce comes up with the perfect plan to find some peace - she'll camp out on the roof of their house!  While on the roof Joyce is able to keep an eye on the neighborhood and it's there that she discovers another roof dweller! Brian has his own reasons for being on the roof, yet he too is excited to see Joyce Ann.  Joyce is determined to not not only meet Brian, but become his friend and help him realize his dream.  Unfortunately, along the way the unthinkable happens and threatens to tear apart her plans. Will Joyce be able to make everything “OK” again, or can some things simply never be fixed?

Tru and Nelle by G. Neri

Summer in Monroeville, Alabama during the Great Depression is pretty much a typical small southern town of the 1930’s.  It’s hot and life is slow-paced.  It’s not the place anyone would expect to find someone famous.  But that’s exactly where where two world famous authors met as children, and became lifelong friends.  Tru has been sent to live with his eccentric cousins after a stint of working on a riverboat showboat with his ever-scheming father.  Nelle is the youngest daughter of the town’s lawyer.  With a mostly absent mother and two older sisters that want nothing to do with her, Nelle has nothing but time on her hands.  At first she is simply intrigued by the new kid in the strange clothes that moved in next door.  They soon bond over their mutual love of mysteries, especially Sherlock Holmes.  Little do they know they will soon be solving a real life mystery of their own.  In the process, they uncover some not so nice truths about their small town and put their own lives in danger!

While this book is middle grade fiction, it's based on the true life friendship of Truman Capote and Harper Lee. It’s a fascinating read as it weaves truth with fiction seamlessly and leave the reader eager to discover more about both authors. Don’t miss the Author’s Note in the back of the book!

Red by Liesl Shurtliff

Have you ever wondered, what’s the “real” story behind the fairytale of “Little Red Riding Hood”?  For example, why does she wear that red cape?  Is she some kind of superhero wanna-be? Why do her parents let her walk through that dark forest all alone?  And by the way, just where are her parents?  Now about the granny, why does she live all alone in the woods? How many grandmothers do you know that prefer to live all by their lonesome in the scary woods?  Then we come to the wolf.  Seriously, how many wolves have you met that dress up in granny clothes and talk?  Does that even really happen?  Read Red by Liesl Shurtliff and find the answers to all these questions and more, so much more!  Red is one twisted fairytale fantasy that takes you on a journey in which you come to expect the unexpected.  Red sets out on a journey to find a solution to help her ailing granny.  Along the way she meets Goldie (future like long friend?), encounters deadly water sprites, dwarves (Snow White did not tell the full story!), an ancient huntsman, a beast, and of course the wolf!  So much happens to Red and Goldie on their quest that it's easy to forget they’re only kids!

As with many fantasies, Red is a wonderful escape from everyday life.  But just when it seems all hope is lost, we’re reminded that in a fantasy anything can happen and magic takes over. What makes this book so special, and different from many other fantasies, is the powerful theme woven throughout the story. The lesson is not readily evident at first, but all at once the readers realize the author's message. I won’t give away the theme here, I’m excited to have students discover the lesson for themselves and share it with me!

Mission Mumbai by Mahtab Narsimhan

Dylan Moore is sure he’s in for the adventure of a lifetime when he’s invited to travel with his best friend's family on a summer vacation to India. Dylan’s excited to learn more about Rohit’s native county, the culture, and of course the delicious food!  Although Dylan does have another reason he's so anxious to escape New York City. A reason he’s not ready to share with Rohit, or even himself yet.

Mumbai proves to be quite an eye-opener for Dylan right from the start.  From upsetting a cow to meeting Rohit’s aunt, who he nicknamed “Boa” for reasons that soon become obvious, the family retreats to the country for what they hope will be a more peaceful vacation.  Not likely.  Dylan does however learn a very important message about family and friendship from an ancient woman. Could her simple wisdom really be the solution he’s been searching for?

This book immediately caught my eye and piqued my interest when I discovered it on the “New Middle Grade Fiction” shelf in the library.  As a sixth-grade teacher, I have had the pleasure of teaching many students either from India, or that have family living in India.  Many of these students travel to India on a regular basis.  I thought reading this book would be a chance for me to peek inside life in India.  Now that I’ve finished the book all I can say is, wow!  I feel as if I have just returned from a two week trip to India myself. Even the terrifying parts (and there are definitely parts of the book that had me on the edge of my seat wondering how anyone could possibly live through what I was reading) left me feeling excited to read more.   However,  from the culture, the food, the city , the countryside, the people, even the monsoons, I want to know more.  I think this book is a perfect example of how books can take readers to faraway places. I am excited to have my students read this book and share their opinions with me.

Masterminds by Gordon Korman

Imagine, for the first thirteen years of your life you’ve lived in the small town of Serenity, New Mexico.  The town has been voted #1 for Quality of Life for fourteen years in a row.  Honesty and integrity are the highest values in town. There are only a total of thirty kids in town. Everyone learns the usual subjects in school, as well courses like Contentment and Mediation.  The main sport is water polo. Homes are spacious and have swimming pools. The town has no crime, no unemployment; all parents have good jobs with many working in the only industry in town, the plastics factory.  Sounds like a perfect life?  Maybe. At least that’s what Eli, Amber, Tori, Hector and Malik used to think. Then Eli tries to bike outside the city limits and becomes terribly sick.  His best friend mysterious leaves town.  But worst of all, the adults in town start acting weird.  Even his own father seems to be hiding something.  Eli fears the worst, could his father actually be lying to him?

Masterminds in the first novel in a new series by author Gordon Korman.  It has all the elements of a blockbuster novel for middle grade readers!  The town of Serenity at first seems like a utopian society, something along the lines of the town in The Giver.  But Masterminds takes place in the present, not the future.  So while at times the genre may seem like science fiction, it has an eerie quality of possibly being realistic fiction. Could this story actually happen?  Do scientists have all the technology they need?  The questions the story poses will make for some interesting conversations.

The story quickly becomes so shocking and unexpected that readers will find it difficult to put the book down. This will be a must read series for many, including me!

A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord

Lily has her hands full this summer, helping her grandparents run the family store and taking care of her beloved dog Lucky who is slowly becoming more and more blind.  But Lily has a plan.  There’s an operation that just might save Lucky’s sight, the only problem is it costs a lot of money.  Lily, with the help of Pépère (her grandfather), is painting and selling bee houses to help raise the money.  Lily has plenty of time to work on the bee houses since her best friend Hannah has become boy crazy. Then one day Lucky gets loose and runs through the nearby blueberry fields.  It’s here that Lily meets Salma, a migrant worker in town with her family to help with the blueberry harvest. Lily has seen migrant workers before at the store, but has never known one personally.  Could the girls become friends?  Or are their differences too great?

I’ve read many books by Cynthia Lord including both Rules and Half a Chance.  While I enjoyed both those books, this is my favorite!  Lily and Salma are engaging characters. I liked how both girls helped each other, but also how the character of Hannah (the “boy crazy” best friend) evolved in the story.  I learned a lot about blueberries and the blueberry business in Maine, something I knew little about before reading this book.  Now when I see blueberries in the store, I have a new appreciation for where they came from and how they got to the store.  I also connected to the story of Lucky the dog.  I have always had pets and I understand how they become a part of the family.  I felt Lily’s desperation to help Lucky and enjoyed the final solution!

Rediscovering Favorites....

Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man  

by Wendelin Van Draanen

Every summer I usually get so caught up with discovering and reading new middle grade fiction in preparation for September’s Mock Newbery Club launch, that I have little time to read anything else.  This summer I’m trying to be different.  Sure, I’m still reading every wonderful new book I can get my hands on, but since my recent foray into the Series of Unfortunate Events novels, I’m taking another look at some of the “golden oldies” that I may have missed out on when I as busty raising my own three boys.  As I wrote about earlier, I remember my children being excited every time a new Series of Unfortunate Events book was released. But I never had a chance to read any of the books, there were not too many free moments between taking care of the boys, going back to school, studying, and working various part time jobs.  Reading anything for fun was a luxury.  What I did make time for was reading out loud to the boys.  This is something I will forever be grateful that I did, as I do believe it helped to foster their love of reading and helped them to become the successful young men they are today.

The Sammy Keyes series is another group of books that I remember seeing in the library when the boys were little.  I think one or more of the boys may have even read a few of the books.  I’m embarrassed now to admit that another reason I may not have picked up the books back then was because of the covers. I don’t like scary books (can’t sleep at night if I read them), so seeing skeletons and mummies on the front cover of a book just might have scared me off.  Happily, I rediscovered Sammy Keyes about a year ago when I was searching for engaging mysteries for the sixth graders I teach. After reading the first book in the series, Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief, I immediately fell under Sammy’s spell.

Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man is the second book in the series.  While you do not need to have read the first book to read this one, the main characters are all there with a few interesting additions such as the Bush Man, Skeleton Man and a new friend for Sammy, Dot.  It doesn’t take long for Sammy to become embroiled in another mystery when she and her friends discover that the neighborhood recluse has been robbed on Halloween.  After calling the police for help, Officer Borsch warned Sammy to “stay out of it”, but in true Sammy-style she just can’t help getting involved. Meanwhile, Sammy’s nemesis, Heather, has a whole new devious plan to take down Sammy and make her the laughingstock of the school.  Heather just might get away with it if Sammy can’t prove to others what Heather’s up to.

Dear Hank Williams by Kimberly Willis Holt

     WARNING:  Do not start reading this book and think you can predict the ending. I guarantee you will be wrong!  When I first began reading this book I thought, “Oh, what a cute story.  I like the letter-writing format.”  I felt pretty confident I knew the “happy” ending part, after all, I’ve read a lot of books, right?  I was totally unprepared for what happened.  I am not ashamed to admit I did not see it coming and I did go back and reread most of the book to see if I missed anything. This is one of those books that will grab your heart and not let go.  It delivers a powerful message: Life includes both beginnings and endings, but through it all, it’s family and friends that see us through.

I did not want to say good-bye to Tate, Aunt Patty Cake, Uncle Jolly and Frog.  They'll be with me for a long, long time.

       Three features drew me to this book from the start. First, as a newly published (2015) middle grade fiction novel, it may be a contender for the Newbery Award.  Therefore it’s a book that we’ll be including in our Mock Newbery Book Club this fall.  Second, the genre is historical fiction.   I like historical fiction because it usually shares some new side of history that the author has discovered during her research.  Historical fiction helps make history fascinating and attainable for so many readers.  Finally, I was intrigued by the format of this book.  The entire book is written as a series of letters from a young girl, Tate P. Ellerbee, to a newly rising country singer, Hank Williams.  Through Tate’s letters we learn about her life in the small town Rippling Creek, Louisiana in 1948.  We learn not only about Tate and her family, but also about the people of the town and events that threaten to devastate, yet may bring people closer in the end.

The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

The Baudelaire orphans have finally begun to feel the first glimmers of hope (and dare I say happiness?) since their parents’ untimely death in that horrible fire.  Mr. Poe has taken them to live with their Uncle Monty, known to others as Dr. Montgomery, an esteemed scientist.  Uncle Monty studies and collects reptiles, especially snakes.  He even has a special room in house, The Reptile Room, in which he cares for all of his “pets”.

Despite being extremely busy with his research and planning an excursion to Peru, Uncle Monty welcomes the orphans with open arms and quickly makes them feel at home.  The orphans join Uncle Monty in preparing for the trip to Peru, each with their own special jobs to do:  Violet designing snake traps, Klaus reading up on Peru, and Sunny is busy biting a rope into shorter lengths. Uncle Monty also begins to teach the children all about the reptiles and snakes that are more like his family than the deadly animals others see them as.  Life seems to be settling into a nice, comfortable routine for the Baudelaire orphans that is until Uncle Monty’s new assistant Stefano arrives.  He seems strangely familiar to the orphans….

The Reptile Room is the second book in A Series of Unfortunate Events.  As with volume one, the action is fast paced and the book difficult to put down.  I continue to be hooked on the series and look forward to more adventures with the Baudelaires this summer!

My Letter to Lemony Snicket...

June 11, 2015

Dear Mr. Lemony Snicket,

I regret to inform you that I recently had the misfortune of reading The Bad Beginning.  In fact, to compound this misery, seventy-six of my sixth grade students joined me in this extreme streak of bad luck.  For the past two weeks we have been distressing daily over the injustices suffered by the Baudelaire orphans.  Many of us have lost sleep in order to learn if the children survived yet another round of evil.  As distressing as the loss of their parents was, reading about the horrendous Count Olaf was almost more than we could bear. Personally I found myself regularly urging the children to run, run as fast as they could to find the police.  I am sure many people thought I had lost my marbles if they observed me yelling at the book.  I did not have the heart to explain my agony and spoil their day by sharing the misery of the Baudelaire orphans.

 I am also curious if there may be more to Mr. Poe than meets the eye.  His miserable cough does have the effect of making one feel sorry for him.  However, I fear that Mr. Poe is hiding a mysterious past. Is it possible his cough is actually a nervous reaction that occurs only when he fears other are close to discovering his secret?  It does seem as if the great misfortune affecting the Baudelaire orphans is the complete lack of stable, reliable adults in their lives, starting with the loss of their parents. (And I am not at all convinced their parents are dead.  I fear Count Olaf may be holding them prisoner on a remote and dreary island. Maybe someone needs to investigate further?)

Unfortunately, tomorrow is our last day of school.  I feel I must share with you the sad news that many of my students, myself included, will continue to read about the Baudelaire orphans over the summer. While that is certainly a gloomy way to spend one’s summer, we feel we need to continue on this journey with the orphans.  We will regularly be venturing into our public libraries in order to search for the rest of the volumes detailing the sad misfortunes of the orphans.

Sadly,

An Unfortunate Reader

The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill by Megan Frazer Blakemore

So often when I think of historical fiction I think of the Civil War, World War II, and the Great Depression.  And while historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, I am always on the lookout for books that highlight lesser-known, yet equally fascinating time periods of the past. The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill by Megan Frazer Blakemore does just that. The novel captures the Cold War between the United States and Russia, which fueled the “McCarthy Era”, a time between the late 1940s and early 1950s when Senator Joe McCarthy made it his mission to hunt down “spies” based largely on unsubstantial rumors and innuendo.  Unfortunately these investigations spread fear and distrust, turning neighbor against neighbor, leaving many to wonder what they could believe in and whom they could trust.

“Hazel Kaplansky, star student, holder of knowledge, solver of mysteries, and future double agent” lives in the quaint town of Maple Hill, Vermont in 1953.  It’s a quiet little town, but Hazel is determined to keep her family safe in case of an enemy attack.  She starts by preparing a fallout shelter (in the cemetery her family runs), and then discovers “evidence” that leads her to believe spies have infiltrated her small town.  When she reads that McCarthy investigators have arrived to interview workers at the factory in her town, she is even more convinced.  But whom can she trust to help her?  Her best friend recently moved.  The new boy in town, Samuel Butler, might be a possibility, but he has some serious secrets of his own.

Hazel learns important lessons, both through her investigations, the spy investigations at the plant, and her friendship with Samuel:

“Sometimes we want to believe in something so badly, we see what we want to see instead of what’s there.  Then again, maybe if we believe in something enough, maybe it is real.”

And while these lessons may have opened her eyes to new realities, it is clear that Hazel will continue on, solving mysteries in Maple Hill and beyond.