Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library

by Chris Grabenstein (2013)

A game, a mystery, a list of great authors and books to read, a Willie Wonka homage, and a celebration of libraries. Kyle loves to play all sorts of games, and while spending the night at the brand new town Library takes part in he most challenging game yet: how to escape from being locked in the Library? It is more game than dangerous mystery, very Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-ish, but there are many clues and puzzles to unravel before the end. Great examples of teamwork, using your brain, never giving up. And many, many books are referenced to fill an entire shelf.

Deeper: How many authors and books are mentioned? Research libraries, Dewey Decimal, and apparently there is one more problem to solve for the reader, not the characters in the story. I think this would be a great read aloud and higher level project book.

Nice author's website too, and it looks like he visits schools!

Timmy Failure

Mistakes Were Made

by Stephan Pastis (2013)

Tragicomedy with bad art and a polar bear. The story of a boy detective not in any way in the same league as Nate the Great and Encyclopedia Brown. Imaginative and silly, similar to Calvin & Hobbes (or is the bear real?), but with a poignant touch of real life sadness.

I liked it, chuckled out loud many times, and definitely want to keep reading about his misadventures.

Dead End in Norvelt

Dead End in Norvelt

Jack Gantos

Newbery Medal 2012

Kind of a funny book, lots of people like it (hence the awards) but it's not a typical story. A lot happens, something on almost every page, and the dialogue is quick and realistic (swear I heard my mother's and grandmother's voices throughout). Humor, strange events, but realistic and lots of historical elements (WWII, Cold War, New Deal, the Roosevelts).

I've seen this called a mystery, but it's not really. The mystery is downplayed until the end and really not important, or I guess not treated seriously. And the Hell's Angels? They're there, then not there....

Click

Click

by 10 Authors (2007)

Interesting idea, seems to be the fad for a group of authors to co-write a book, and the overall theme stays true even as points of view and times shift throughout.

A family mystery, why did Grandpa leave this gift/puzzle? leads to who really was Grandpa. Lots of characters, lots of world travel. A little challenging, suggested for good readers.

Tabloidology & Room One

Today's Guest Reviewer is my 105 lb, 10.5 year old 5th grader Son #3 who alternates between two phrases to start every sentence: "Father, how/why...? or "I'm going to invent...."

Tabloidology                  

by Chris McMahen (2009)

Why I picked it up: Because I thought it would be an odd book because of the title.
Why I liked/disliked it: I liked it because it was an impossible funny tale about a school newspaper.
Who I would give it to: My father who likes impossible and funny books about school newspapers.
 [Ed./Father: I do?]

Room One

by Andrew Clements (2006)

Why I picked it up: My dad gave me the book because it was by the same author as Frindle.
Why I liked/disliked it: I liked it because it was 1/8 mystery. 1/8 drama, 1/8 problems, 1/8 school, 1/2 really good book.
Who I would give it to: My dad because he read Frindle and he was the genius who picked it out for me. [Ed./Dad: No argument here!]

Sammy Keyes and the...

Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man

by W. Van Draanen (1998)

Sometimes an author puts in too much, this one is a mystery and a revenge story all rolled together, and the two parts really have nothing to do with each other.
Sammy is misfit teenager being bullied by the cool girls while illicitly living with her grandmother in the ol' folks home and solving a family feud/attempted murder/theft of rare books... The crime solving stuff could have been much better and made a more complete book if most of the teen girl drama material would have been saved for another book.
That said, Sammy and cohorts are attractive and entertaining characters, I'd probably get more into the book if I'd read her backstory and followed the series from the beginning rather than somewhere in the middle.

Comments from the author, including the word "prevarication" !

The Case of the...

...Graveyard Ghost? ...Barfy Birthday? ...Crooked Carnival?

by Michelle Torrey

The detective team of Doyle and Fossey, scientists and sleuths, solve crimes for their neighborhood and teach principles of Science at the same time!

These are very cool, perfect for the classroom, highly recommended books.  Not only are they neat stories, with both clever and gross humor and Encyclopedia Brown (if he was a science/invention nerd) -like mysteries to solve, but just when the reader's curiosity is piqued there is a DIY activity included -- secret codes, dry ice, make your own pulley* -- with clear instructions and plenty of safety tips.  I think these stories (there's a few cases in each book) would be great to introduce a Science unit, to refresh student brains before assessment, even as a quiz: Can you solve the case?

* these 3 are just from one book, the others have been loaned out to neighborhood kids for summer reading; I told them that's what happens when you live next to a teacher!

Regarding the Fountain

by Kate Klise (1998)

Entertaining story, a 5th grade class and an eccentric fountain artist team up to defeat the water-hogging bad guys, told entirely in letters, postcards, memos, artwork, etc.  Great idea for students stuck on the whole writing thing -- break it down, tell a little at a time, consider the various viewpoints...

Skulduggery Pleasant

Skulduggery Pleasant

by Derek Landy (2007)

Similar to Alchemyst but in more of a gangster (with an er) crime setting; I really like the main characters and wish the story would have gone deeper into our heroic skeleton... but since this is probably 1 of umpteen in a series, maybe that's for another book.
Didn't really like the video game violence, pages of "then she answered with a scissor kick, only to be met with a sweeping blow to..." gets boring. Then again, I'm not 10 anymore...

When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me

by Rebecca Stead

Newbery Medal 2010

A strange book... I liked it, but for some reason my "will students like/get/have any idea" spidey-sense kept me from really liking it.  I like time travel, but (warning: blasphemous statement ahead) I am not a fan of A Wrinkle In Time; I like game shows, but wonder why $20,000 is supposed to make anyone rich? Weird cover. Why 1979? Hmmm...

 That said, I did like it.  Great lead character, strong supporting cast, interesting puzzle, lots of relationship issues to discuss -- plus time travel!

Things Not Seen

Things Not Seen

by Andrew Clements (2002)

Boy wakes up invisible.  Boy does not use invisibility to play pranks or visit the girls' locker room.  Boy meets girl. Boy and girl work together to solve his failure to be visible.  Boy's parents almost go to jail for losing son. Boy learns to appreciate life and the ability to wear clothes.

Tangerine

Tangerine

by Edward Bloor (1997)

Kind of a strange book, several types of books blended together -- spooky in the beginning (I'm sure a zombie was mentioned) then a lot of sibling rivalry/jealous of the football star brother mixed with the new kid in school, then a good dose of racial/economic class confrontation, then wraps up with the evil brother terrorizing the neighborhood and dysfunctional family horrors from the past... that said, I liked it!

It's different, and covers a lot of ground, but it's exciting and moves quickly -- perfect for active boys that don't need one theme repeated and dwelt on for an entire book, gives 'em lots to think about and react to. The bad seed football star older brother was a little cartoonish, but the end result is quite dramatic.  The middle section revolving around the new school and the soccer season is the best part, and could actually be read apart from the rest of the book.  Good read.

why I picked it up:  Again, a recommendation from Son #2, plus I'm a big sports fan and do enjoy a cold glass of orange juice.
why I didn't put it down:  At first it was because I thought there would be zombies, then for the sports action, then to save the fruit trees, then to find out just how the heck he was going to wrap this whole thing up!  It's a gripping, involving read on several levels and I couldn't put it down until it was finished.
who I would give it to:  mystery fans, soccer players, new kids in school, underdogs.

The Crossroads

The Crossroads

by Chris Grabenstein* (2008)

Sons 2 & 3 are into spooky books and scary stories; of course #3 usually invades our bed at night because 1 & 2 try to freak him out, which is why I try to hide the scary books he checks out as soon as we're home from the library... anyway, I picked this one up for #2 but he'd already read it, so I gave it a try.  About 1:15 am I was wishing I hadn't started it after the sun went down...

Traditional ghost story, the dead at unrest, the past attempting to control the future, bad people deserve their painful fate... almost too many characters here, especially in the beginning, we don't know who's minor or major, dead or alive, past or present... but they're all connected and it all sorts out.  The dead mother was a bit much, didn't add to the story and/or could have been a story all it's own. Some minor characters are very well done and I'd read more of (Davey the farm-boy ghost and the Librarian).
Overall, good read.




*really? Grabenstein? Chris Grab-en-stein writes spooky books? that's perfect...

Deathnote

Deathnote (12 volume manga series)

Tsugumi Ohba/Takeshi Obata (2003)

I'm not a big violence fan, even in my comics; this does have a lot of frequent and indiscriminate murder, although mostly "off screen" and not graphic at all.  For older students it does raise questions regarding capital punishment, the battle of right vs. wrong, corrupt power, etc.  It's well done with twists and puzzles, interesting characters, and bits of humor.  The later issues tend towards inner monologues and less action.

Horns & Wrinkles

Horns & Wrinkles

by Joseph Helgerson (2006)

Loved it! Trolls and magic, bullies and crickets...

The Anybodies

The Anybodies

by N. E. Bode/Julianna Baggott (2004)

The entire story was worth the house made of books (which I'm sure is cheaper than the prices here in SoCal)... lots of references to classic children's lit, clever and humorous comments from the "author", nice family connections, a sweet and strong lead character... I really liked this one!

update: I saw on the author's website there are 39 books and their characters, from Charlotte & Fern to the Bible, referenced in this book... can you find them all?

Coraline

Coraline
by Neil Gaiman (2002)
Ooooo, spooooky... a little ghost story, clever and imaginative and humorous in the expected excellence of Gaiman's style. A girl in a big house with quirky neighbors and a mysterious door to nowhere...

Sky Horizon

(sorry, the cover is much spookier when larger than a freckle...)

Sky Horizon

by David Brin (2007)

I like a book that does the unexpected; as an adult reading juv or YA fiction, things can get a bit predictable (although I really thought ol' Wilbur would be Christmas dinner) and when a book keeps me turning and guessing, that's a good thing.

Sky Horizon isn't the best written book, it has some strange scenes that don't seem to fit -- but when the end is not really the end (what/where is the next book?) even that seems to fit in, and is another unexpected aspect... standing alone, the book has some drama, some intrigue, a good lead character, and aliens. It also brings up many points for discussion regarding our history and future as a planet, our role as a species or member of the universe, or simply as individuals relating to one another. Lots of opportunity for "well, what would you do?" or "what do you think?"

connections: exploration, Columbus/aborigine, ET, Only You...Mankind

The Sisters Grimm

The Sisters Grimm
Book Two - The Unusual Suspects

Michael Buckley (2005)

Fairy tale characters in the real world, where kids have problems like giant spiders and Rumpelstiltskin (sp?)... adventure/mystery with lots of humor, but also some serious angst over missing parents... reminded me of the HP emotional anger and magical loss of the folks, tone of the story reminded me of that movie with LRRHood and the X-games Grandma (and a singing Goat?) from a few years ago (I liked it, no one else did, but can't remember the name)...

gets the "race" tag for some racial profiling involving fictional vs real characters... could be an interesting discussion...

Adolf: A Tale of the Twentieth Century

Adolf: A Tale of the Twentieth Century

by Osamu Tezuka (1995)*

A real graphic novel, not just a thick comic book... just started reading, son #1 found the whole series at the library and snagged 'em for me... serious war/race thriller/drama set in Japan and Germany, mostly 1936-45 (the chapter tacked on to the end showing the characters still fighting each other in the Middle East 10 years later was a little contrived...)

It's fictional, the search for and hiding of secret documents showing Hitler was Jewish, and a circle of Japanese and German characters that continuously stretch the limits of "Hey, it's you again, whatta small world!" but very realistic in the historical events surrounding WWII and the treatment of the Jews... the characters are very passionate and sometimes quite torn by twisted loyalties, such as the half German-Japanese boy who falls for a Jewish girl...

Interesting to talk about divided loyalties in a classroom, explore the different messages the students get from parents vs teachers vs coaches vs pop culture vs the playground... who do you listen to? who do you follow? how could you possibly know what is right?

from the introduction to book 5, by Gerard Jones:

(discussing the lies/reasons we have wars): "...Nation -- the deadly sentiment that an arbitrary and invisible political definition has some bearing on human relationships and is worth killing and dying for..."

Hmmm...

connections: Anne Frank, Number the Stars, All Quiet on the Western Front, the Middle East, Viet Nam war

*originally serialized/published in Japan 1983-85