The Chronicles of Harris Burdick

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: 14 Amazing Authors Tell the Tales
By Chris Van Allsburg
AND Lemony Snicket, Tabitha King, Jon Scieszka, Sherman Alexie, Gregory Maguire, Cory Doctorow, Jules Feiffer, Linda Sue Park, Walter Dean Myers, Lois Lowry, Kate DiCamillo, M.T. Anderson, and Louis Sachar

 An "esteemed collection of highly decorated authors" have written short stories to accompany Chris Van Allsburg's intriguing and bizarre pictures from the original Mysteries of Harris Burdick...and the stories are just as intriguing and bizarre!
If you were ever inspired by Harris Burdick to think of your own stories to accompany those black-and-white drawings, you will probably enjoy this collection. The stories range from strange to funny to creepy, and beyond...

The Humming Room

The Humming Room
A Novel Inspired by The Secret Garden
By Ellen Potter

Since The Secret Garden was one of my favorite books when I was growing up, I was curious about this book by Ellen Potter.
In The Humming Room, 12-year-old Roo Fanshaw is sent to a foster home after her father dies in a drug-related shooting...but an estranged, very rich uncle agrees to take her in to his desolate children's-hospital-turned-mansion on a tiny island (Cough Rock) in the St. Lawrence River.
There is indeed an almost-dead, haunted secret garden in the house, which Roo revives along with some mysterious new friends.
This is a shorter, modern version of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic novel.

Queen of the Falls

Queen of the Falls
By Chris Van Allsburg

I'm a big fan of all of Chris Van Allsburg's books. I love his detailed illustrations--sometimes creepy, sometimes haunting--and the unusual stories that accompany these pictures. Queen of the Falls is the biography of an unusual and little-known woman who, at age 62, climbed into a wooden barrel and plummeted over Niagara Falls in an attempt at fame and fortune! She survived, but didn't make a lot of money for her efforts, even though it was a very daring feat. That was in 1901! Annie Taylor remains the only woman to have ever gone over the falls alone (and only one of nine who have survived the trip at all).

Savvy

Savvy
By Ingrid Law

This is a rollicking adventure--a bunch of kids, including a few siblings from a family with special superpowers ("savvies"), stowaway on a big old pink bus delivering bibles to small-town churches in Kansas and Nebraska. Along the way, surprising friendships are made, trouble is gotten into, and even a little romance blooms, making the journey quite memorable!

Harry Potter

 

Harry Potter series

By J.K. Rowling

What a wonderful summer project! I savored each and every book, one right after the other, whenever I could snatch some time for myself. And I loved them more than I thought I would. Humor, wit, problem-solving, magic, friendship, love, danger, horror...it's all there. Now I just have to find time to see all the movies!

Tuck Everlasting

Tuck Everlasting
By Natalie Babbitt

I read this book years and years ago, and rereading it was like visiting an old friend!
This story is sort of a meditation on life and death, and poses the question: what would happen if you could live forever? What if you could choose to do that? And what if you couldn't choose, but it happened anyway?
A little girl named Winnie falls in love with a peculiar family who "kidnap" her, and she is forever changed by the strange story they tell her about a magical spring, and the events that follow the kidnapping.

Every Soul a Star
By Wendy Mass

Since I just saw an annular solar eclipse over the weekend in northern California, I was particularly thrilled by this novel! It also recently won the California Young Reader Medal.
Told in alternating chapters by three 13-year-old characters--Ally, Bree, and Jack--this is the story of a total solar eclipse and the people brought together by this rare and powerful astronomical event.
The three teenagers are strangers whose lives intersect in an unusual way in the middle of the woods one summer, and each of them experiences changes which will shape them forever.

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner
By James Dashner

Oh man, this is definitely a page-turner. It seriously kept me up at night.
For those who love The Hunger Games, Dashner's dystopian world will probably interest you...
This story is about a 16-year-old boy, Thomas, who finds himself trapped inside a giant maze along with a hundred other teenage boys. They have all had their memories wiped out, and they spend their days trying to survive--and find a way out. There are huge half-mechanical, half-insect monsters hunting them down, spying creatures combing the landscape, and the maze walls shift each evening...this is a world no one would want to find themselves in, especially at night. And it appears to be a giant puzzle with no solution. Enter Thomas, who seems to know something no one else knows...

The Midwife's Apprentice

The Midwife's Apprentice
By Karen Cushman

I wasn't sure what to expect from this intriguing-looking little book, but it had a golden Newbery Medal sticker on the cover--and I'm interested in midwifery--so I thought I'd check it out!
And I loved it. Set in 14th century England, this is the story of a poor, nameless orphan girl who becomes the apprentice of a stern village midwife. Along with learning the skills needed to deliver babies (WAY back before most women went to hospitals to give birth), the girl gains the confidence to stand up for herself and slowly become part of a community.

Dive

Dive 
Book One: The Discovery
By Gordon Korman

This is the first book in an exciting trilogy about 4 teen scuba divers who "accidentally" get involved in the secret operation of treasure hunters in the Caribbean sea. It's a great story of underwater adventure, including shark attacks, sunken treasure, pirates, and modern day treasure hunters pretending to be scientists...

Guys Read: Funny Business

Guys Read: Funny Business
By Jon Scieszka

This is a great collection of short stories from some of the best writers around--Jeff Kinney, Eoin Colfer, Jack Gantos, Christopher Paul Curtis, and many others. There's something for everyone, really, and all of the stories are funny, or crazy, or witty, or something. Granted, I'm not a guy, and sometimes I didn't get the humor...but I still enjoyed the book!
Check out Jon Scieszka's awesome website for recommendations especially for guys: guysread.com

The Underneath

The Underneath
By Kathi Appelt

For those who love stories about animals, The Underneath is that, but also much, much more. Set in an East Texas bayou, it's a story of abuse and betrayal, but also deep friendship and love. The characters are an old hound dog, chained to a porch in the middle of a swamp, and his horrible, alligator-hunting owner named Gar-Face. There are also two kittens that somehow survive in this enchanted swampy forest, their calico mama, and a giant snake trapped in a clay jar. Stories of ancient people and beings, and magic, are all mixed up together in this fairy-tale-like novel.

Trains

Trains
By Lynn Curlee

This is a super interesting history of railroads--from the first steam engines to the development of high speed "maglev" trains (in Europe, China and Japan) that can go up to 300 miles per hour!
It gave me some perspective on the importance of the building of the transcontinental railroad, and how it was crucial to the shaping of the U.S.
And this book also reminds readers that while many train lines have been replaced by highways in this country, trains continue to play a big role in transportation in most other countries.

Code Talker

Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two
By Joseph Bruchac

This story is beautifully written, and explains a lot about what was going on in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. Narrated by Ned Begay, a Navajo Indian from New Mexico, this novel tells the story of how he joined the U.S. Marines at age 16--and was given the top secret mission of code talker. Because he could speak fluent Navajo (despite the U.S. attempt to wipe out that entire language and culture through Indian boarding schools) and it is a complicated language known by relatively few people, Ned was called to help develop a secret code for transmitting important military messages during battle. Code Talker describes Ned's experience in some of the most horrendous island battles against the Japanese, and the crucial role these brave Navajo code talkers played. The novel is historical fiction, based on real events.
I was amazed to learn that the Navajo code talkers were not officially recognized until 1969, almost 25 years after the end of the war--partly because the Navajo code was so secret and "unbreakable," the military wanted to keep it for future wars.

So Hard to Say

So Hard to Say
By Alex Sanchez

Like in Wendelin Van Draanen's book Flipped (see post from April 2011), this novel is told by alternating voices in each chapter:
Xio (short for María Xiomara Iris Juárez Hidalgo) is funny and super social, and has a major crush on a new boy in 8th grade...
Blue-eyed Frederick has just moved to southern California from Minnesota with his parents, and really likes Xio--as a friend...
They each tell their side of the story chapter by chapter. Xio confers with her group of friends, Las Sexy Seis, as Frederick begins to make friends with some of the soccer-players, especially Victor.
Things are going along fine until Frederick begins to wonder why he's not as attracted to Xio as she is to him--and he wonders why it feels like his crush is on Victor, instead.
Frederick finally realizes he is gay, and he secretly seeks out the school bully-victim, Iggy (who is thought to be gay) to talk to.
Alex Sanchez has written a very believable story of middle school, crushes, friends, and one boy's first awareness of being gay.

The Great Brain

The Great Brain
By John D. Fitzgerald

This book, the first in the humorous Great Brain series, was published way back in 1967 but takes place when the author was a little boy, growing up in small town Utah way, way back in 1896. I learned a lot about what life was like back then--getting the first indoor toilet in town, making homemade ice cream with a wooden, crank ice cream maker and ice from a frozen pond, and the types of games kids played before there was television or--gasp!--computer games. However, the types of games include things that are kind of unacceptable nowadays, like "Cowboys and Indians." There are many references to Indians, in fact, and many of them are not very kind or accurate. But that's how a lot of white folks--especially those new to the West--viewed the local tribes, so it gives a critical reader something to think about.
Mostly the story is about little John D. getting swindled by his older brother, Tom, who is a smart kid, and always looking for a way to make money (a few pennies, or a whole dollar was a LOT of money back then!). There are other important--and tragic--parts of the story, however, like when the mostly-Mormon community realizes a Jewish man new to town has allowed himself to starve to death rather than ask for charity. Or the cruel treatment of a family of Greek immigrants by some of the townsfolk.
All in all, The Great Brain is a surprisingly funny tale of brotherhood, childhood, and changing attitudes in small town America at the turn of the last century.

Smile

Smile
By Raina Telgemeier

From the creator of the very popular Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels, comes the author's own true dental nightmare story from her middle school years...

Poor Raina knocks out her two front teeth when she accidently falls while running to her front door. She has to endure many major trips to the dentist--and the orthodontist, endodontist, and periodontist to deal with the damage, and also to get braces! Meanwhile, middle school is happening: crushes, puberty, issues with friends, etc. I loved this graphic novel, and especially how it takes place in our own foggy, earthquake-prone San Francisco! Raina Telgemeier grew up in SF, so the book has a very familiar setting.

The Arrival

The Arrival is told purely through pictures--no words at all. The illustrations, as usual, are captivating, whimsical, and full of wild details. This is the story of one man who leaves his wife and little daughter to seek out a better life in a new place...the settings are fantastical, with creepy beasts and other threats, and bizarre contraptions for traveling, and everyday use. The man must make his way through this strange new "city", and luckily he meets some other immigrants who help him out. They tell their own stories of arrival. Finally, the man has enough money to send to his family in a "letter," and he waits for their arrival...This graphic novel really blew me away, I have to say. It is beautiful.

The Arrival By Shaun Tan
I just love Shaun Tan's books. And this one is really brilliant.

Strudel Stories

I found this little book in the library when I was putting One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street back on the shelf (see previous post), and it was a real treat to read another of Joanne Rocklin's books.

Strudel Stories
By Joanne Rocklin

If you love stories and you love to bake (like me!) you will probably enjoy this sweet collection of tales of a Jewish family, short stories that are baked into the layers of generations of homemade apple strudel and passed down orally from one relative to another.
Some of the stories are humorous, some sad...they cover ghosts, the brutalities of war and persecution, and the hardships of immigrating to a new country. But all of the stories, however bittersweet, are testaments to the strong and enduring human spirit.

Operation Redwood

Operation Redwood
By S. Terrell French

After sneaking a peek at his rich and powerful Uncle Sibley's email, 12-year-old Julian realizes his uncle is planning to destroy a giant redwood tree grove as part of an investment deal.  Julian starts corresponding by email with a girl named Robin, who lives near the redwood forest.  With the help of his loyal friend Danny, Julian decides to join Robin in the struggle to save the trees.  He also wants to get away from his cruel uncle and aunt in San Francisco.  He has to sneak out of their house (his mom is away in China) and get to northern California on his own.  Will he be able to do anything to help the desperate situation?  Julian and Robin and Danny are determined to make their plan work.  But the redwoods are part of a million dollar deal...

Smiles to Go

Smiles to Go
By Jerry Spinelli

9th grader Will Tuppence has a pretty nice life, if you don't count his annoying sister: he has two great friends, BT and Mi-Su, who play Monopoly and eat pizza with him every Saturday night, his own telescope (he wants to be an astronomer), and an awesome skateboard.
But a few unexpected events turn his world upside down--the death of the proton he heard about on the news, some surprising first kisses, and his 5-year-old sister's terrible skateboarding accident. Great story about 9th grade, friendship, family, and changes.

One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street

I loved this sweet and bittersweet tale of one day on one neighborhood street in L.A., where a bunch of kids each have their own moments of happiness and sadness, and issues with growing up. The big Valencia orange tree in the empty lot--the last remaining tree from an old orange grove--unites them, and brings out courage in each person on the street. A wonderful book!

AND our library now has an audio book version of One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street, read by my dear friend up in Northern California, Lisa Baney! So come check it out.

One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street
By Joanne Rocklin

Fred Korematsu

Fred Korematsu: All American Hero
By Anupam Chander and Madhavi Sunder
Illustrated by Angelia Loi


This informative graphic novel tells the story of Fred Korematsu, who spoke up and fought for justice for his Japanese American community despite great challenges. During WWII, Fred and his family and 120,000 other Japanese Americans living on the West coast were forced to live in internment camps for no reason but that they were of Japanese ancestry. Fred Korematsu took his case to the Supreme Court--twice--before the U.S. officially apologized to him, and to the entire Japanese American community. He continued to fight for justice for all people in the United States until his death at age 86, in 2005.
The story also mentions similar unfair treatment of Muslims after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001.

  

California now commemorates this impressive civil rights activist each January 30th (this began in 2011) with Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberaties and the Constitution.

8th Grade Superzero

8th Grade Superzero
By Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

This is a book about middle school, and all that is middle school--the good, the bad, and the ugly: friendships, embarrassing moments (like throwing up on the Principal's shoes in front of the whole school!), romance, bullying, class elections, popularity, and invisibility. Reggie McKnight is dealing with a lot during his 8th grade year, especially since he earned the nickname "Pukey" on the first day of school. Reggie's dad can't find a job, his older sister is mean, his comic book isn't coming together like he wants, and he has questions about a lot of big things like homelessness, and God. Luckily, he has great friends. And some surprising experiences--like being a Big Brother to a kid at a local homeless shelter--inspire him to do the impossible: stand up on a cafeteria table and announce he's running for class president!

The Haunted Playground

The Haunted Playground
By Shaun Tan

 

I'm a big fan of Shaun Tan's books and artwork (I was excited to find out we were actually born the same year!) so after reading Tales from Outer Suburbia, I thought I'd check out this other little book I found, also by Tan.  It's an easier read, a short and spooky ghost story which takes place in a giant playground.  Gavin, who starts off hunting for lost coins and jewelry in the sand with his new metal detector, ends up discovering something else entirely...and the "ghost" children who hang out at night in the playground decide they want him to stay and play with them--forever!

Tales from Outer Suburbia

Tales from Outer Suburbia
By Shaun Tan

Review from www.arthuralevinebooks.com :

You thought you knew suburbia.
Then you meet an exchange student from another world, discover a secret room that lets you escape to a place of perfect beauty, find a neighborhood where brightly painted missiles decorate every yard, and wait for a blind reindeer who demands a very special offering. . . . These are the odd, magical details of everyday suburban life that might forever go unnoticed, were they not finally brought to light by Shaun Tan, author and illustrator of award-winning New York Times bestseller The Arrival.
Outer Suburbia.
It's closer than you think.

The Westing Game

The Westing Game
By Ellen Raskin


I decided to reread this oldie-but-goodie (won the Newbery Medal in 1979), and it was just as great as I remember it was when I was in 6th grade!
A clever, who-done-it murder mystery, this book is both funny and kind of creepy.  I think it would especially appeal to anyone who loves puzzles, riddles, logic games, and mysteries...a great one to read in the summer, say around the Fourth of July (hint, hint!).
Enjoy!

Speak

Speak
By Laurie Halse Anderson

After a horrible experience at a summertime party, Melinda spends her 9th grade year practically silent, and seriously depressed.  She has lost all of her friends, and is treated like an outcast in her cliquey high school.  Hiding out in a janitor's closet, and spending time in art class help her figure out how to overcome her fear and figure out how to speak up about what happened.
Such a powerful, beautifully written story...Every middle school girl, especially, should read this one in my opinion.
Recommended for ages 12 and up.

Satchel Paige

Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow
By James Sturm and Rich Tommaso

Leroy "Satchel" Paige was the most popular, highest paid and most photographed baseball player in the Negro League from the 1920s to the 1940s.  Satchel Paige was a master pitcher who got the crowds laughing with his warm-up tricks and jokes.  This was all during a time in U.S. history when African American athletes were not allowed to play on the same teams as white athletes--so they formed their own professional leagues.  This graphic novel tells the story of one great ball player and the obstacles he overcame because he loved the game so much.

Blood and Chocolate

 

Blood and Chocolate
By Annette Curtis Klause

16-year-old Vivian is a beautiful, strong and confident high school student--and a sleek werewolf by night.  When she falls in love with a boy at school, a "meat-boy," her life gets more complicated.  She must decide whether or not to share her real identity with gentle Aiden, and what consequences this could have for the rest of her pack...
Recommended for ages 13 and up.

Notes from a Liar and her Dog

Notes from a Liar and her Dog
By Gennifer Choldenko

I really enjoyed this funny, realistic story about a girl struggling with her place in her family, and who loves her dog above all else.  Here's a brief summary from KidsReads.com:
Twelve-year-old Antonia MacPherson, better known as Ant, is having a tough time. She's the middle child, right in between older sister "Your Highness Elizabeth" and younger sibling "Katherine the Great." At this point, Ant's dog Pistachio and her best friend Harrison are the only beings that matter to her. And it certainly helps that Ant is a quick thinker and a great liar --- skills that get her through and create some good laughs. But one of Ant's teachers suspects there's some hidden truth behind the lies. Will she discover it? 

Malcolm X

Malcolm X:  By Any Means Necessary
By Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers has written a fascinating account of the life--and death--of one of the greatest and most influential but also most controversial leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.
Malcolm X was the "militant leader of hundreds of thousands in the Nation of Islam, a Muslim minister, a target of the F.B.I., a guest of Arab princes, at one time a streetwise, blade-sharp teenager" on the streets of Harlem.  He spent 6 1/2 years in prison as a young man, and used that time to read and learn, emerging as a powerful force for change in the years afterward.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World:  The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance
By Jennifer Armstrong

Talk about incredible survival stories...talk about serious misery, crazy subzero conditions, a diet of penguin and seals for months, blizzards and toppling icebergs, tippy, leaking lifeboats, and mountaineering feats up and down sheer glacial ice...Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 28 men survived against all odds--and then some--during a failed trans-Antarctic expedition in 1915.  This book will truly make you feel lucky to have a warm bed and a hot shower.  Marvel at the photos that somehow survived the many different disasters this brave, strong crew endured...this is a story you will never forget once you hear it.