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.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck is the follow-up to Brian Selznick's Caldecott Medal winning book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The illustrations in that book were AMAZING and the illustrations in Wonderstruck are equally AMAZING and there are about 100 pages more of them!

There are alternating stories being told, one in text and one in the illustrations, and they end up coming together at the end. I enjoyed this book. It was touching, moving and sad, but I liked it's simplicity and honesty in dealing with real-world problems, relationships and feelings.

And the illustrations, of course, are AMAZING!

Summary:
Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.

Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories--Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures--weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder.

Hunger Games Movie and Controversy

First of all, I would like to say that the Hunger Games Trilogy is a YA book. The content is appropriate for older readers. There is a great deal of violence and other mature topics not meant for younger readers.

If you are interested in a great series for 4th-8th grade, I would suggest Suzanne Collin's first series, The Underland Chronicles. Written by the same author as the Hunger Games Trilogy, the content is more appropriate for 4th graders and up and most important, it is awesome!

Boys of Wartime

This series of books is similar to the Dear America historical fiction series, but specifically aimed at boys and the topic of war.

In the first book, twelve-year-old Daniel cheered when American colonists dumped English tea into Boston Harbor to protest taxes. But King George sends soldiers to punish the rebellious colonists, and friends turn on one another to protect themselves. Daniel works in the family tavern and spies on Redcoat officers after his father leaves to fight with the Patriots. He soon learns how to slip vital information across British lines to his father and General Washington. He must face his fear and put his life in danger. But, to a Patriot, liberty is well worth any risk.

This series will be in the Youth Hardcover Fiction section under X BOYS.

Read all the Goosebumps?

We have a new series at Franklin for those readers who loved R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series, but have read them all.

Deadtime Stories by Annette Cascone and Gina Cascone- they will scare you silly!

Checkout the books at the Franklin Public Library!

What's on my nightstand?

Well, I have read a lot of YA books lately, so now I am going to go on a middle school binge.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick (all the holds have died down and now I have a copy!)
Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Jacobson

Tell you what I think soon....

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I have to say I love the cover of this book! But I loved that more than the book itself. It's just not my type of book- too much romance, not enough action.

It is set in Prague. Karou is the main character. She is a teen living on her own. She sketches monsters that may or may not be real and goes on mysterious errands for her family, the only family she has ever known. But her past is full of secrets. There are demons and angels, but not really in the Judeo-Christian understanding really.

I think many teen girls will really enjoy the book, but I'll pass on the sequel.