The Switcharound by Lois Lowry

Caroline and JP have their summer all planned out.  Caroline will be spending hers in the Museum of Natural History, while JP dreams of a summer tinkering with his electronics in their NYC apartment.  Unfortunately things are not working out as planned. Their father, who hasn’t been part of their lives for several years, suddenly wants them for the summer, in Des Moines, Iowa.  Once there, Caroline and JP quickly discover dad and his new wife, Lillian, have summer jobs, already lined up for them!  Caroline and JP face a summer of babysitting and coaching a baseball team of six year olds. Both are miserable.  The siblings each hatch plans to get their revenge.  Revenge more terrible than they've ever done before. Revenge that can never be undone, because dad and Lillian deserve it, or do they?

I discovered this “oldie but goodie” recently when planning a genre book club for realistic fiction.  An avid fan of Lois Lowry, I had never heard of this title before.   The students and I enjoyed analyzing the character throughout the story and predicting their decisions.   The many unexpected twists and turns as the plot develops and will keep the readers guessing!

The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John

Meet Miles Murphy, prankster extraordinaire, or at least he was until he moved to Yawnee Valley and had to leave his friends and old school behind.  His mom sees this as an opportunity for Miles to have a fresh start and a chance to move from a small cramped apartment to a more spacious house.  But Miles is not happy about the move.  At least, he thinks, he should have no problem quickly becoming the top prankster at his new school.  That is until he discovers the school already has a master prankster. A prankster that pulls off a masterful prank that Miles gets blamed for!  Suddenly Miles is faced with a choice: joins forces with the prankster or else!

This book was an unexpected delight!  I loved the theme of friendship and the powerful message of how things are not always as they seem. The illustrations are priceless.  The detailed plans of pranks may even inspire some students to get creative!

The Titanic Locket (The Haunted Museum #1) by Suzanne Weyn

Over the years, many people have been, and continue to be, fascinated with the Titanic and the terrible fate of the passengers that sailed on the ship’s maiden voyage in 1912.  But have you ever stopped to wonder what it would be like to take a cruise on an exact replica of the Titanic?  Or, if presented with the opportunity, would you dare to sail on such a ship?  Sisters, Jessica and Samantha, have arrived in England to do just that – set sail on a cruise ship that is an exact replica of the Titanic.  Like the Titanic, this is the ship’s maiden voyage, but of course this ship has been equipped with all the latest modern day conveniences, or has it?  Right from the start, strange things start happening to the sisters.  Are the people on the ship really actors in old-fashioned clothes? Then their room number keeps changing from 266 to 299. There’s also strange scratching noises inside the wall that no one else seems to be able to hear. And then there’s that locket from the Haunted Museum.  Why does it keep appearing on the ship, who or what wants it and will do anything to get it back?

This book is a nonstop read!  In the beginning it piqued my interest about the Titanic, but then the spookiness took over.  I hadn’t expected it to get so scary so fast.  Once that happened I just couldn’t stop reading, I had to find out if the sisters survived! 

The Selection Series: Book One and Book Two

I have to admit it took me awhile to start reading this series. I had seen the books in the bookstore, but the covers just didn’t immediately speak to me.  A girl in a fancy ball gown?  Just wasn’t my usually type of book.  Then I did what I always encourage my students to do, read the back cover.  It sounded a lot like the TV show, The Bachelor.  An hour of mindless television once a week is one thing, but did I really want to read a book based on the same idea?  Then I read a few pages and that’s what finally got me.  There is something about Kiera Cass’s writing, or maybe it’s her storytelling, but I was immediately pulled into this royal world, a palace filled with unimaginable luxury especially for some like America Singer one of 35 girls chosen for the Selection.  America is a Five, one of the lower castes in the country.  She’s knows what it’s like to be hungry and not to have heat or electricity in the cold winter months.  Yet suddenly she’s been chosen to compete for the heart of Prince Maxon, only she can’t decide if she really wants it or not.  Can she ever forget her first love, Aspen?

Even though I found myself getting frustrated with the indecisive nature of America, I couldn’t put either of the books down.  After I finished The Selection, I was anxious to start The Elite to find out what girl would be sent home next from the Selection and why. Often when I read science fiction I find myself trying to predict what will happen next based on the chain of events in the story.  So far it has been almost impossible to this with this series.  Just when I think I have the characters figured out, something else happens and I’m left to start guessing again.  After reading the first two books in the series, I still have absolutely no idea who America will chose in the end.  I don’t even know what I hope for, but I do know that based on the books so far, it will be a surprise!

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm

“Scientists never give up. They keep trying because they believe in the possible.”

Jenni Holm has done it again.  The Fourteenth Goldfish starts out easily enough as a story about changes.  Ellie has never really liked changes. Now she has to not only deal with transitioning to middle school and a best friend that may not be a friend anymore, but also a long lost relative, that just happens to be a crabby teenage boy, moves in with her and her mom. Very quickly however this book becomes so much more complex. Ellie’s cousin introduces her to the world of science and the realm of possibility. Ellie learns to observe her world in a whole new way. Soon Ellie’s quiet little orderly world is shaken up as she learns to redefine herself, her friends, and even her family.

I absolutely loved this story! Not only did I quickly become caught up in Ellie’s life, I enjoyed the references to science and found myself questioning new ideas right along with Ellie.  The ethical questions brought up in the book with make for interesting classroom discussions!

“Most of all, believe in the possible.”

Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

School has always been a struggle for Albie.  He’s never been the “best” at anything. He struggles both academically and socially. Albie not only has to deal with bullies at school, he has pressure from his parents to do better at school. Fortunately, Albie encounters some wonderful people that help him uncover his hidden talents.  His new babysitter, Calista, helps him believe in himself and find what he is good at. The teachers at his new (public) school help him discover that learning does not have to be difficult. Albie even has an opportunity to be part of the “cool” crowd and learns some important life lessons.

There has been much positive buzz about Absolutely Almost on Twitter lately.  I was excited to the read the book and was not disappointed.  Albie is such a kind, insightful, caring character; it was easy to fall in love with him.  I especially enjoyed his friendship with Betsy, a girl at his new school that has difficulty with stuttering.

I didn’t mind that Betsy didn’t talk too much.  Because it can be hard sometimes, saying what you mean.  And I thought maybe I understood her most of the time anyway.

Without meaning to, Albie teaches others how to be better people. I hope to meet many “Albies” at school next year!

Zane and the Hurricane by Rodman Philbrick

“My name is Zane Dupree.  I need to warn you right now, there’s some really gross stuff in this book, and I’m not talking about make-believe gross like plastic poop and vomit, but stuff so awful it made a dog hide his nose….”

Zane and the Hurricane.  This book was so good it terrified me. I thought I knew all about Hurricane Katrina and the devastation it had caused.  Like many others, I had watched the news reports and read the stories about the aftermath of the hurricane and flood.  But never could I have imagined the utter despair, fear and courage the survivors, those that remained in New Orleans, had to go through in their quest to find help.

Zane is a 12 year old from New Hampshire.  He and his dog, Bandit (or Bandy for short) were on vacation in New Orleans, meeting his deceased father’s grandmother for the first time.  Then Katrina hit.  Then the flood came. In Zane’s effort to survive he is helped by the kindness of strangers willing to share what little they had managed to save from the flood. Unfortunately Zane also witnesses the truly ugly side of human nature, actions brought about by fear, racism, and ignorance.

I cannot wait to share this book with my students.  Zane’s story will prompt many questions.  Questions that will not have easy answers, maybe no real answers.  But truly, aren’t those the best books? Books that make us question?  Books that make us think?  Books that make us decide that maybe it’s time we do something to make the world a better, more accepting, place for all.

Zane’s story will be with me for a long, long time.