New Series by Erin Hunter! Love the Warriors Series?

The time has come for dogs to rule the wild!

Here is a review from Kirkus Reviews:
In this dog-themed series opener from the team behind the Warriors franchise, dogs must learn to face not only the results of the devastating earthquake that has turned their world upside down, but their own feelings of loyalty and independence.
With the earth swelling beneath them and their cages twisting around them, the dogs in the shelter are trapped and frightened. Familiar with the legend of the "Big Growl," Lucky is able to quickly piece together what has happened. He and another dog, Sweet, manage to escape, only to find themselves in the middle of a city in ruin. With the humans ("longpaws") gone, it is up to Lucky to try to find food and shelter. He is quickly joined by other dogs who are desperately hungry and unprepared for their new world. Lucky is a reluctant leader, eager for a life of solitude, but he feels a kinship and responsibility for this new pack. Weaving together the horrific yet all-too-familiar scenes of natural disaster with the mythical legends of the dogs, Hunter expertly explores the tensions between responsibility and freedom; risk and safety; and loyalty and acceptance. Viewing the unfolding adventure through Lucky’s eyes makes even the most mundane or familiar seem alive with magic.

So, I haven't read this one, but I know how wildy popular the Warriors books are for boys and girls. So, I wanted to point out the new series available!

Here is a link to the website where there is so much information and fun stuff about the author, books and more!

http://survivors.warriorcats.com/survivors/

Guy Reads

As I was cataloging new books, I noticed this one. This is the third book in the Guys Read series.

Jon Scieszka is a well known author and he founded Guys Read to encourage a passion for reading among young boys, with the philosophy that boys love to read most when they are reading things they love. (Well, actually everyone feels that way, really :)

It is tough to keep boys reading through middle school and high school. There are a lot of books and studies devoted to this issue. At public libraries, we see a significant drop in the number of boys attending programs or participating in summer reading after about 5th grade. Connecting boys with books seems to be a challenge. So, I understand his motivation. I have not read one of these yet, but they are written by some of the best known "boy" authors. Hopefully, they will have a magic formula! Put one of these in your son's hands today!

New Puzzle Books

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin.
Winston Breen says “the only thing better than discovering a puzzle is stumping someone else with it.” But when his sister uncovers mysterious strips of wood with words and letters on them, even Winston himself is stumped. Soon the whole family—and some friends—are caught up in the mystery and off on a scavenger hunt that just may lead to a ring worth thousands of dollars! Chock-full of puzzles to solve—some tied to the mystery and some not—this treasure hunt will keep readers’ brains teased right up to the exciting ending!

There are puzzles throughout the book and you can connect online and print out all the puzzles to work through on your own!

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Oh, this is such a good story- sad, but good. Ivan is a gorilla who was captured as a baby and raised by humans. He lives alone in his domain (cage) in a mall. He is easy going and has come to accept his life at the mall, until a baby elephant is purchased to bring in more customers. Ivan decides the elephant should have a different life and does something about it.

The story is told from his perspective. It's so sweet and touching. It's meant to open the reader's eyes to how humans treat animals and it does so in a very powerful way, I think.

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. It rang so true and it was touching. Hazel is a fifth-grade girl who lives next door to her best friend, Jack. They "get" each other. When everything in their lives is falling apart- Hazel's parents have gotten divorced and her father doesn't have much time for her and Jack's mother is suffering from depression, etc.- they have each other and their imaginations. Jack likes to draw and they both use their imagination to create other worlds. Hazel struggles at her new school. She doesn't fit in. But she has Jack.

Well, one day, Jack gets a piece of bewitched glass in his eye and everything changes. It changes the relationship between Hazel and Jack, it changes the book from a contemporary realistic fiction book to a fantastical fairy tale book...I didn't like the second part of the book as much and was sad to not be able to see the story that began be fleshed out.

But I did like that the story was about friendship, loyalty, perseverance and overcoming fears.