What they're (really) reading: February 2017

By keeping a pulse on what our students are checking out at our middle school library and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget I have more wisely by choosing books I know will have a greater likelihood of circulating widely.

Each month I'll feature some books that are on the "heavy rotation" list at our middle school library. They're not necessarily new, shiny, or covered with awards -- they're just what the kids want. 

This Month's Selections:

Cupcakes, Cookies, and Pie, Oh, My!
by Karen Tack
Nonfiction

Get ready for another whimsical decorating book from Tack and Richardson (Hello, Cupcake!; What's New, Cupcake?), best-selling authors and culinary MacGyvers who transform store-bought candies, frosting, and baking mixes into stunning cupcake creations. Here, they've expanded their repertoire to include other types of desserts (e.g., a lemon cheesecake that masquerades as nachos). With just one trip to the grocery store, aspiring decorators of all ages can easily re-create treats from this fun book.

Soccer Star Cristiano Ronaldo
by John Albert Torres
Nonfiction

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the biggest names in all of sports and one of the most iconic figures in international soccer. This biography covers the hardships that Ronaldo faced as a child, and how he overcame them to become the face of the powerhouse soccer club Real Madrid and the Portuguese national team.

Best Foot Forward
by Joan Bauer
Fiction (Realistic)

Taller-than-average shoe salesperson Jenna Boller is back in this gentle, stand-alone sequel to Joan Bauer's lauded Rules of the Road (1998). It's the start of junior year, and new challenges await Jenna, both on the job and at home. Professionally, she is helping Mrs. Gladstone with the merger between Gladstone Shoes and Shoe Warehouse, while training smooth-talking, former juvenile delinquent Tanner Cobb in the fine art of shoe retail. Privately, she is working through her feelings about her father's alcoholism by attending Al-Anon meetings; she's also trying to score a date with cute Charlie Duran, who knows donuts the way she knows shoes. Jenna is so busy that she nearly fails to notice clues leading to Mrs. G's unscrupulous son Elden's embezzlement. But it doesn't take long for sole-ful Jenna to catch on, and, with Mrs. G's support, restore the good name of Gladstone.

The Bully (Bluford High series)
by Paul Langan
Fiction (Realistic/urban)

A new life. An new school. A new bully. That's what Darrell Mercer faces when he and his mother move from Philadelphia to California. After spending months living in fear, Darrell is faced with a big decision. He can either keep running from this bully--or find some way to fight back.

Haunted Houses
by Robert San Souci
Fiction (Short stories/horror)

These 10 spooky stories include a classic Halloween scare: visitors get their admission fee of $25 back if they make it to the top floor of a haunted house-but can they? In another, the primary occupant of a dollhouse is a ghost of a child who needs help moving from one consciousness to another. San Souci also writes about an abandoned teahouse with ghosts, a Ouija board that foretells a confusing yet doomed future, and a mother's spirit who is searching for her missing son. The stories are well paced and satisfyingly startling. While some are better written than others, this book won't stay on the shelves for long. Murphy and Revoy's black-and-white illustrations heighten the fright factor, making San Souci's collection even more riveting.

What They're (Really) Reading: January 2017

By keeping a pulse on what our students are checking out at our middle school library and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget I have more wisely by choosing books I know will have a greater likelihood of circulating widely.

Each month I'll feature some fiction & nonfiction books that are on the "heavy rotation" list at our middle school library. They're not necessarily new, shiny, or covered with awards -- they're just what the kids want. 

This Month's Selections:

Beast 
by Donna Jo Napoli
Chapter book (Retelling)

Orasmyn is the prince of Persia and heir to the throne. His religion fills his heart and his mind, and he strives for the knowledge and leadership his father demonstrates. But on the day of the Feast of Sacrifices, Orasmyn makes a foolish choice that results in a fairy's wretched punishment: He is turned into a beast, a curse to be undone only by the love of a woman.
Thus begins Orasmyn's journey through the exotic Middle East and sensuous France as he struggles to learn the way of the beast, while also preserving the mind of the man. This is the story of his search, not only for a woman courageous enough to love him, but also for his own redemption.

Tarantula Scientist 

by Sy Montgomery
Narrative Nonfiction

Yellow blood, silk of steel, skeletons on the outside! These amazing attributes don't belong to comic book characters or alien life forms, but to Earth's biggest and hairiest spiders: tarantulas. Here you are invited to follow Sam Marshall, spider scientist extraordinaire (he's never been bitten), as he explores the dense rainforest of French Guiana, knocking on the doors of tarantula burrows, trying to get a closer look at these incredible creatures. You'll also visit the largest comparative spider laboratory in America—where close to five hundred live tarantulas sit in towers of stacked shoeboxes and plastic containers, waiting for their turn to dazzle and astound the scientists who study them.

Great Ghost Rescue 
by Eva Ibbotson
Chapter Book (Fantasy)

The ghosts of Britain need a sanctuary. Castles with central heating, bogs drained for motorways, dismal forests cleared for car parks-there are few places left for a respectable ghost to haunt. Humphrey the Horrible (actually his name is simply Humphrey-he added "the Horrible" to help himself become horrible) is a small, mostly unsuccessful ghost in a family of ghastly ghouls. His mother worries. But Humphrey has enough pluck to befriend a smart, politically aware schoolboy, Rick Henderson, who is willing to take the ghosts' cause right to the top, to number 10 Downing Street-home of the Prime Minister.

Spy School 

by Stuart Gibbs
Chapter Book (Mystery)

Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he's already pegged his dream job: C.I.A. or bust. Unfortunately for him, his personality doesn't exactly scream "secret agent." In fact, Ben is so awkward, he can barely get to school and back without a mishap. Because of his innate nerdiness, Ben is not surprised when he is recruited for a magnet school with a focus on science—but he's entirely shocked to discover that the school is actually a front for a junior C.I.A. academy. Could the C.I.A. really want him?

Actually, no. There's been a case of mistaken identity—but that doesn't stop Ben from trying to morph into a supercool undercover agent, the kind that always gets the girl. And through a series of hilarious misadventures, Ben realizes he might actually be a halfway decent spy…if he can survive all the attempts being made on his life!

Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity
by Dave Roman
Graphic Novel

Hakata Soy's past life as the leader of a futuristic super team won't stay in the past!

The former space hero is doing his best to keep his head down at Astronaut Academy. Things aren't going so great, though. The most popular girl in school has it in for him. His best friend won't return his calls. And his new roommate is a complete jock who only cares about Fireball.

Hakata just wants to make a fresh start. But how will he find time to study Anti-Gravity Gymnastics and Tactical Randomness when he's got a robot doppelganger on its way to kill him?

What they're (really) reading : March 2015

 photo by Toby Neal

By keeping a pulse on what my kiddos are checking out and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget I have more wisely by choosing books I know will have a greater likelihood of circulating widely.

Each month I'll feature a few fiction and a few nonfiction books that are on the "heavy rotation" list at our elementary library. They're not necessarily new, shiny, or covered with awards -- they're just what the kids want.

This month's selections:

Aliens and Other Visitors by Ruth Owen

Readers will investigate the truth behind alien stories, exploring the fears and superstitions of different cultures and looking at the scientific facts that might explain the seemingly unexplainable.

Monster Hunt: Exploring Mysterious Creatures by Jim Arnosky

Describes giant prehistoric animals, discusses stories of mythical monsters such as dragons, and examines the possibility of the existence of Nessie, Big Foot, and other modern legends. 

Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech

Jack is studying poetry again in school, and he continues to write poems reflecting his understanding of famous works and how they relate to his life. 

Freddie's Dog Walking Service by Jonathan Rand

Freddie and his friends get more than they bargained for when they decide to get rich by starting a dog-walking service. 

Five Little Monkeys Reading in Bed by Eileen Christelow

The Five Little Monkeys cannot resist reading, even after Mama tells them it is time for bed.

My Perfect Wedding by Lisa Ann Marsoli

With the help of her fairy godmother and mice friends, Cinderella plans a beautiful wedding. 


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