Starfish by James Crowley

Blackfoot Nation siblings, Lionel and Beatrice, steal a horse and run away from their boarding school to spend nine months hidden in a cabin in the Montana mountains. They survive in the old ways, thanks to the teachings of their grandfather.

I enjoyed this historical fiction book. I loved the character of Beatrice who was strong and fearless and her younger brother, Lionel, who looked up to her so. I enjoyed their adventures and admired their determination to live free like their ancestors.

The Doomsday Box: A Shadow Project Adventure

The Doomsday Box by Herbie Brennan:
When the CIA created a program to research time travel in the 1940s, they never imagined it could lead to a global pandemic decades later. But after an undercover agent, code name Cobra, exploits the time-travel operation to send the black plague into the twenty-first century, the supernatural teen spies of the Shadow Project are recruited to go back in time to Cold War-era Russia and prevent this devastating chain of events from occurring.

This is a sequel to The Shadow Project. In the beginning, I thought it was interesting- secret mission, time-travel, black plague and astral projection (out-of-body travel). Wow! Right? But by the time I got to the middle, it just fizzled out for me. I didn't feel connected to the characters and I didn't really want to find out what happened to them. In fact, I was very tempted to skip a few pages. For me, it just wasn't a good fit. But there is a reader for every book out there, so if you are a fan of the Alex Rider books, you might want to try this one out! Let me know what YOU think.

Newbery Medal Winner 2011

Moon Over Manifest by Claire Vanderpool won the Newbery Medal, awarded to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

I am going to start off by stating the obvious-I am not a literary critic. I can't say to you this book deserved to win out of the thousands of books written last year. I just believe a book is good when I feel invested in the characters and I want to keep reading to find out what happens to them. To me, that is a good book. Whether it makes me laugh or cry, I start to imagine the characters and the setting  in my mind and to 'see them'. (that's why I never like movies that are made from books- because it never matches my own imagination!)

A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

Wow! This was a funny AND creepy book all in one! I think kids will love it! It is the story of Hansel and Gretel that blends other Grimm stories together into one book with the author interjecting his humor and warnings about imminent danger and gore directly to the reader throughout the book.

The cover is very appealing and screams to a brave child to be picked up and read...but, reader, beware...

DC Super-Pets

Everyone knows Superman,  Batman or even Wonder Woman, for that matter. They’re three of the most recognized super heroes of all time. But did you know that the Man of Steel has an entire collection of pets, including a dog, a cat, a monkey, and even a horse, all complete with the same powers as Superman? How about Wonder Woman’s Amazonian pet kangaroo? Or Aquaman’s pet seahorse with telepathic powers?
This new early chapter book series will sure be popular with the younger audience. The illustrations are bold and bright and the stories are just the right length. I'm sure these won't be found on the shelf often.

Ducks Go Vroom

With large type and bright pictures that reinforce the story, this easy reader follows a family of ducks who vroom to a relative’s house. The sounds of the words are a big part of the fun and so is the messy slapstick action!

I think this is a great Level 1 Reader with big print, cute pictures and silly humor! I am often disappointed with Easy Readers when the print is too small, the pages too cluttered, too much dialogue, etc. I think this is right on target for those beginning readers or as a read-aloud!

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

I don't usually read entire series. I read the first one to know what the series is about so I can share that with library patrons. There are just too many books to read for me to take the time to complete a whole series. BUT, there are some for which I will make an exception! I love Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy!

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

When Dwight makes a Yoda out of paper and puts it on his finger and offers advice, the 6th grade starts to ask him questions. Tommy is a boy who is compiling the case file of all the ways in which Origami Yoda has helped his classmates. He needs to know if Origami Yoda can be trusted, because he has a very important question to ask him.
Each chapter of the book tells someone’s story in his or her own words usually, about how Origami Yoda helped them. Tommy comments on the story, generally in support of Origami Yoda, whereas Harvey, the naysayer, takes the other side.

I loved this book!