Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini

I am finally finishing up this series.  I reread Brisinger because too much time had elapsed when I began the series and finally getting around to the last one.  Some of my former students advised me not to bother to read the last one, but I decided that since I met Christopher Paolini and liked that he started this series at such a young age and I want to know what happens to Saphira and Eragon, I decided to read the last book.
If you look strictly at the story line and the writing, you wouldn't read this book.  However, I am enjoying it.  I do wish it moved a little faster and that Eragon would stop getting into predicaments that he should avoid.  I do like that minor characters are getting a larger role in this book.  I will hopefully be back to finish this post with a final thumbs up or down.

Goodbye Los Cerros - Seven Tales of Trinket by Shelley Moore Thomas.

I am retiring this June from my position as a teacher librarian at Los Cerros Middle School.  However, I am hoping to continue to keep up my blog.  I will eventually add more titles as I begin broadening my reading genre.
One book I am reading right now and enjoying very much is the Seven Tales of Trinket by Shelley Moore Thomas.
I had a great time listening to the author at this years California Young Reader Medal banquet.  She was Trinket at the banquet.  Trinket wants to become a bard - a teller of stories, musician, and all around entertainer.  She starts out on a journey to find her father, also a bard, after her mother's death.  She is accompanied by Thomas the pig boy on her journey.  While on her quest to find her father she is perfecting the skills she will need to become a fantastic bard.
It is worth a read for those interested in an easy quick read and the fantastical people and creatures Trinket and Thomas meet on their travels.
I hope to collect tales on my travels in my RV, now that I am retiring or changing careers...
Happy reading. - Donnine Davis

2013 reading highlights

As stated, it is hard to get time to update this blog at work, so I have to work on it at home or aka my own time.  I don't stop reading, I am just not the best writer and stress over every word and get upset when I make errors.  I guess it is not about my writing, but my reading, right?

Here are titles I have read and/or recommended in 2013.   Please ask me about them, they are all in our library.  I will include a second entry on titles that are upper middle school, but not in our library currently...

Click on picture for list

This resource list currently has 33 books, but I read more than that.  However, these are the ones that I would recommend.

Eon by Allison Goodman

I listened to this book on Brilliant Audio downloaded from Audible.com.  It was a great recording of the book.  It took me longer to listen to, than I would normally like with 25 chapters, but worth the time.  At the time I finished the book I downloaded the sequel, but have not had time to listen yet.  I also realized that I have not reviewed this book yet.  So, I will fix that now.
Eon is training to be a dragoneye.  He must be successful or his master/sponsor will loose everything.  However, Eon isn't Eon, he is Eona a girl and forbidden to train.  His master knows that his training puts them all at risk of death because women are not allowed to hold such a powerful position.
Eon is full of self doubt and worried someone will discover the truth. The day comes when the rat dragon will select a new dragoneye. - the author seems to use the Chinese zodiac and many ideas of Chinese culture in this book.  Eon barely makes it through the demonstration battle with one of her former trainers using her disability to make him fail.  He is a cripple due to an accident that crushed Eona's hip.  Amazingly, he makes it through the battle, but the rat dragon doesn't choose him, but it doesn't matter, because the mirror dragon does.  There has not been a mirror dragon in 500 years.  However, Eon struggles to bond with his dragon, maneuver through court politics, and show support for the Emperor.   This book has many twists and turns some predictable some not.  One of my favorites this year.

CYRM = California Young Reader Medal & Book Clubs

Time to get reading! Book Clubs are forming for 6th, 7th and 8th grades, so come to the library to sign up.  All the books for CYRM will be offered to vote, except for the Primary category. I will be doing some book talks to classes to advertise this program, book clubs, and reading.  Watch Schooloop for more information.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

If you love the Disney version of Cinderella, like I do, you may have a difficult time with this book.
 
Even though this is the story of Cinderella, it has some major story shifts.  The setting is New Beijing, but it is Beijing far into the future. Cinder is a cyborg.  The prince is the prince of the Eastern Commonwealth, basically China and many other former Aisan countries.  In fact, many countries have been formed into large conglomerates, including the American Republic. In fact, there are also "humans" living on the moon - Lunars.

The prince's father is very ill with a plague that has killed many all over Earth.  All of Earth is rushing to discover a cure for the plague.  Serums have been developed in the Asian Commonwealth.  All the countries are willing to help to discover a cure by sending volunteers or draftees, but it is only being tested on cyborgs.  So far, Cinder feels confident that she will not be selected or volunteered because she is the sole money earner since the death of her adoptive father.  In fact, her father died after contracting the plague.

As the story begins, Cinder is in the marketplace.  She runs a shop that fixes robots.  She is known as a phenominal repairer of machines.  So, Prince Kai comes to ask her, for her assistance to repair his robot, which has suddenly stopped working.
Also, Cinder doesn't know who her mother was.  She only knows that she was adopted.  She doesn't remember anything before she woke up with her cyber implants....
I wasn't too sure I would like this book.  My husband and I listened to the book, an Audible.com download, for a long trip.  After listening for an hour we were hooked.  We downloaded the second, Scarlett - the story of Little Red Riding Hood...sort of.

Butter by Erin Jade Lange

Butter is a junior at Scottsdale high.  He is an amazing saxophone player.  I decent student, who just happens to weigh 423 pounds.
He has been bullied and teased about his weight.  His mom worries about his weight and tries to help him to the point of irritating him.  He also has a secret double life with a girl at his school.  He is Saxman on the Internet and attracts the girl he has a crush on Anna to become interested in him.   However, she wants to meet.  They agree to meet New Year's Eve, but he doesn't really plan to keep his appointment.
In the meantime, the teasing and ostracizing gets worse.  Now he has posted a website called butterslastmeal.com, where he is planning to commit suicide.  He is not sure he really means it, but everything spirals out of control when students at his school begin to egg him on.
I am not sure if this book is really middle school appropriate, but I thought it was a good read.

Evertaster by Adam Glendon Sidwell

This books follows the exploits of Guster Johnsonville to find a good meal.  He is starving for food, but finds most things his mother makes appalling.  His mother finally takes him to New Orleans to walk around the streets to find a meal.  He does end up smelling mouthwatering food from a patisserie (pastry shop).  Although this is great food, he also finds trouble, which launches the entire family on an adventure to find the ingredients to the One Recipe created by Archedentus, the most amazing and talented chef to ever live.
The thing I liked most about this book were all the food tie ins for digestion or related to eating.  Including the Gastronimatii, which is a group of villains also seeking the ingredients to the One Recipe.  My favorite name of a character in the book is a Martha Stewart type character named Felicity Casa or "Happiness House."
If you like adventure, that is a little far fetched and silly names, you will like this book.

Pop by Gordon Korman

I read this book for Battle of the Books.  I am not usually a fan of any books dealing with sports because I don't get into the feel and excitement of the game.  However, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
I will try to not give away too much, but this book has multiple layers to it, it is not just about sports.  It deals with a frustration of the main character being forced to move to a new community.  Even worse, he has to struggle to make the varsity team in his new town because the coach and the team is not willing that adding anyone to the lineup to a successful team is a good idea.  In fact, they feel that you shouldn't mess with perfection. 
Plus, there is the mystery of the 50 year old that keeps appearing to practice with him in the local park.  This mystery 50 year old teaches him to love a different aspect of football.  He teaches him to love a good tackle, which provides him with a skill that the team does need.
I would recommend this book to any student, but especially those that want a book about sports that explores more than just the game.

Jolted: Newton Starker's Rules for Survival by Arthur Slade

Something I miss from my childhood is the wonderful desert thunderstorms that would role over the mountains and into the valley in Tucson or Bisbee.  However, if I was like Newton Starker, I would probably never learn to love the beauty and power of a thunderstorm.
Why?...Because Newton's ancestors have mostly died from lighting strikes, including his mother.  Arthur has decided to enroll in the Jerry Potts Academy of Higher Learning.  This school is not your typically academic only school.  This school is designed to teach the attendee how to survive.
Newton has a big job ahead of him.  Will he become a victim to the lighting around him.

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Wow, what a great ride.  Unfortunately, it ends with an enormous cliff hanger for Jason and Percy, the Roman and Greek versions of a myth.
This story begins where the previous book left off with the trireme from Camp Half Blood moving toward New Rome nestled somewhere in the Oakland hills.
New Rome has just finished a mammoth battle with the Gaea's forces as they continue to try to resurrect her from her banishment.
Well, things go wrong, of course, otherwise the story would be over.  They begin a new quest, no surprise, but Riordan continues to pump out good stories.  He reintroduces us to some of these ancient myths and legends throughout his stories.  I finally downloaded a copy of Bullfinch on my kindle to begin reading these old myths.  You may also want to look for a copy of Ingri D'aulaire's Greek Myths.
This is longer than some of his other books in the Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus series.  This is about as long as the Kane Chronicles.  However, sometimes the Kane Chronicles drag, not this series.  I read this book in a few days.
When does the next one come out, so I can check on my favorite heroes?

Ungifted by Gordon Korman

Hilarious and ridiculous circumstances cause Donovan "Donnie" Curtis to end up in the district school for gifted and talented students.  Like Wonder this book is told by different characters in the book.  It is also set mostly in a school setting.
Unlike August in Wonder, Donnie is perpetually making bad choices.  He is impulsive.  He ends up in the gifted program due to a fluke.  He and his friends the Daniels are wandering around campus, after they have convinced Donnie to climb out the window from the detention he is serving.  His teacher left "briefly", but they suspect he slipped out to watch the basketball game and will not be back for a while.
The Daniels frequently dare Donnie to do crazy stuff.  Sometimes Donnie thinks up these things, sometimes he thinks of them, but wouldn't do them if the Daniels were not encouraging him.  Like whacking the statue of Atlas statue in front of the school on the bottom. Think of mythology, Atlas is bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. The statutue had, yes had a large globe on its shoulders until Donnie spanks the statue with a large branch. The globe begins to careen toward the parking lot. A lucky bounce?, redirects the globe toward the gym. The superintendant corrals him into his office. Donnie is expecting severe punishment, but the super gets called away and punishment is delayed, for now. In the meantime the list of gifted and talented students needs to be sent in. Well the paper with Donnie's name is the one sent. He likes ancestors.com and has even found a namesake, "Donovan Curtis", who survived the sinking of the Titanic. He knows he is not gifted, but he believes he is like his ancestor, a survivor.

New school year new books

I hope you did a lot of reading over the summer.  I mostly read books I have read before.  However, there were a few outstanding books I loved.  I hope you will visit often to see what I  read.  Also, I hope you will come make recommendations to me. 
I already have two good recommendations from students.

One is the latest recommendations is from sixth grader TM.  He recommended Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord.  She also wrote Rules.  If this book is only half as good as Rules, I will love it.  Plus, I just love the cover with my favorite Monopoly pieces pictured on the cover.  Do students still play Monopoly?  Come tell me if you "like" Monopoly.

Another recommendation from a student was Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead.  She wrote the Newbery winner a couple years ago When You Reach Me.  Surprisingly, When You Reach Me connected with students even though much of what is in the book is happening during my childhood.  I especially liked the reference the $20,000 Pyramid.  I loved watching this show. 

I am looking forward to a new book by Gordon Korman.  This book will be available in the book fair (October 22-26).  It is Ungifted by Gordon Korman.  His books are delightfully and cleverly humorous.  If you liked Schooled, my guess you will like Ungifted.  His humor is similar to the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinny, but a slightly higher reading level.

Plus, like a few of you, I am looking forward to the last of the Matched trilogy by Ally Condie. Reached is being released November 13.  Maybe we can preorder at the book fair?  I am hoping it will be possible to put this in the library.  Hunger Games lovers may like this book.  It is kind of a cross between Hunger Games and Twilight without the paranormal.  It is definitely dystopian.  For my dystopian lovers, remember this is a catagory in our catalog.  I have yet to read Maze Runner by James Dashner. Honestly, I have delayed because the reviewers write that it is definitely Young Adult.  One dystopian book that I couldn't put down was Little Brother by Cory Doctorow.  (Also, Young Adult for violence and adult relationships.)  I reviewed this book last year in November if you want to read my review.

Well readers, watch for updates on what I am reading this year.  I am always looking for the next great book I will love, so tell me what you liked!  Even if it doesn't turn out to be my all time favorite book, it will help me make recommendations to your classmates.  WATCH FOR BOOK CLUB SIGN UP'S!

Wonder by R.A. Palacio

August is going to school for the first time in his life.  This is not particularly amazing until you learn that August has never been to school.  He has always been home schooled.  His sister has always gone to public school though.  Why not August?
August was born with a physical deformity that affects his face.  The author never actually describes what August looks like, just that he has this condition.
However, the reaction of students to August makes the reader squirm a little wondering what their reaction would be to August.
His sister is also going to a new school.  She has decided to not talk about her brother at her new school.  She has only two classmates that know about August.  Both of these classmates have always been friends, but like happens sometimes to friends when they are thrust into a new environment they grow apart.
This book is told by different characters.  They narrate the story and sometimes will enlighten the reader about another perspective about the same event.
All in all good realistic fiction.  If you liked Wendy Mass' books you will likely like this one too.

Ok for now by Gary Schmidt

I like this author with every book I read by him.  His Newbery honor book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster boy brought forth images of fairness in an unfair world covering race and social status. Wednesday Wars evoked images of my memories about the Vietnam war and how I view my role as a teacher.
This latest book by this skilled author was a bit predictable, but very enjoyable.
This book is set in the late 1960's shortly before man lands on the moon in July of 1969.  The story begins with the character talking about meeting and playing catch with a famous baseball player.  He even gets a signed cap from him.
However, things go bad for him... often. Plus, his family is a mess. His mom tries to do the right thing, but his dad is horrible.  He has two brothers.   One is a hoodlum.  The other is in Vietnam.
He discovers he has talents and can make friends.
If you read this come tell me what ice cream gets ordered first for a prize.

Summer Reading

I hope you are reading this summer.  I have been reading some of my old favorites and history books and articles as I travel.  I like to read all about an area before visiting, then use my phone or tablet to get more information while traveling and sometimes read a book set in the area to see if I can recognize the places the author describes..  (In fact, I loved using the QR codes at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to learn more about items in their museum.)
I just returned from a trip in the American South (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia), so I read one of my old favorites  Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.  For, any readers that are not familiar with this book it begins in pre-civil war Georgia and follows Scarlett O'Hara through three marriages and the postwar south and reconstruction in Georgia.
So, we visited New Orleans and Atlanta as part of this trip and these locations are described in the book.  I recognized some of the places.  One of the best descriptions in this book, was Sherman's initially failed attempts to get into Atlanta to begin his infamous "March to the Sea" campaign through Georgia.  (Incidentally, he did succeed.)  I visited the Kennesaw Battlfield where the confederate troops  defeated Sherman's army.  You can definitely see the advantage of being on high ground.  The Confederate troops were outnumbered but drove Sherman's army back because they had used tactics of trenches so they could fire down on the Union army.
In the book Scarlett meets up with Big Sam one of Tara's slaves who is being sent to dig trenches for the army around Atlanta.  Margaret Mitchell doesn't say that Big Sam was at Kennesaw, but there were extensive trenches dug around Atlanta, some of which you can still see.
I love Scarlett O'Hara, she is imperfect.  She constantly questions the confines of her culture upon women.  Unfortunately, she doesn't understand that some of her desires are constantly at odds.  Like her desire to be thought of as a "lady", but then doing things that are not done by "ladies".  She believes herself to be in love in Ashley Wilkes, but doesn't realize that they will never be able to work together because they are too different.
Like Ms. Mitchell authors use many of the classic themes in this book.  You may be familiar with some titles that have some themes in common, like "The love triangle" or a frustrated suitor.  (Remind you of Hunger Games, perhaps Twilight)
For some of you, you may be intimidated by the size of this book if you want to read it.  If you are not interested, find another  historical fiction book that interests you.  (Remember you can search for historical fiction in our library catalog.)  If you are traveling this summer, read the history of that area.  There is probably even a book set in the community you are visiting.  As always e-mail me if you want reading suggestions.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

It is one of my favorite times of the year, time to read the nominees for California Young Reader Medal for the next school year. This book ironically was given to me over a year ago by a parent for our library. The parent thought it was appropriate, but advised me to read it first. Honestly, I looked at the cover and said, "Great more vampires, maybe when I don't have anything to read over the summer. Like that would happen..."
However, I started reading this book and yes, there are vampires, but they are not called vampires and play a minor roll. This is a love story of sorts.  The weird thing is,  it is a love story of betrayed love and the consequences heaped on one family due to a curse.
Although weird at times and with "witch" family I would still recommend it.
Ms. Roach might like this one it.  It reminds me of an old soap opera from the early 70's called Dark Shadows.

Pie by Sara Weeks

I usually get my best book recommendations from students. Pie was recommended to me by Abigail G. It is really a cute story.
It opens at a funeral of a phenomenal pie maker and town celeb.
Her niece seems to be the only that misses her for her. Everyone else is worried about what is going to happen to the town now that she is dead.
However, when her niece shows up at her house to collect the cat everything is in disarray.  She is convinced there is a mystery to solve, but everyone else just thinks she is over reacting.
What I loved about this book was that each chapter began with a pie recipe.  I think a need to make a few of Aunt Polly's pies, if only I had her pie crust recipe, wait that is the mystery.  Enjoy, and thanks for the book recommendation Abigail!
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Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Although this book is clever historical fiction, with a mystery twist, I am not sure I agree with the Newbery selection for this year.  This book reminds me last year's winner. Usually each winner is very different from the previous winners, thus distinguishing itself as new and original in Children's Literature.
However, Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos is a very entertaining book.  It took me a little while to get into it and to finish it.  Mainly because, I have had a lot to do in the library for technology that has stolen my reading time at home.

In this book, Mr. Gantos does a great job of peeking in on the Norvelt community post WWII, when the country is entering the time of fear of communism and the rise of McCarthyism. The characters are well drawn, although stereotypical caricatures of people I think of living at this time.   Like the  Hell's Angels, Mrs. Volker, the tricycle riding Mr. Spizz, and the author's namesake Jack Gantos.  The first chapter is hilarious, as Jack, is playing with his dad's Japanese army souvenirs.  Unfortunately, for Jack the rifle he is playing with is loaded, which causes him to be grounded for the summer.  He can't even explain to his mother that he didn't know the rifle was loaded.  His mom is just trying to figure out where all the blood is coming from.  Finally, she realizes that it is just from "his little problem".  Jack gets bloody noses at the drop of a hat.
I love that the author has incorporated little bits of historical trivia throughout the book too.  Norvelt is a real place, that was founded by Eleanor Roosevelt.  It is coincidentally the place where the author Jack Gantos was born.  I can't help but think some of Jack's escapades come from life experience.

Click on the Link to video casts and author information on the Library of Congress web site.

Superior Sunday by Garth Nix

I finally had time to read the final book in the Keys to the Kingdom books. I liked it. The ending was a bit of a surprise to me. My son didn't care for the ending, but I am still sorting out the idea that Garth Nix came up with. It is sort of a classic Hollywood answer,but you will have decide of yourself. Read it and tell me what you think! I highly suggest reading the first six books first.