Bluefish

Bluefish
By Pat Schmatz

Travis is in middle school and can't read.
He's just moved to a new town with his alcoholic grandpa, and is missing like crazy his beloved old dog, Rosco, who disappeared just before the move. School and life feel unbearable a lot of the time--until he meets Velveeta.

Full of spirit and life, Velveeta basically forces Travis into a friendship that they both need. Velveeta, with sad secrets of her own, helps Travis find the strength he needs to learn to read.

With the support of a really great teacher, Mr. McQueen, and a geeky misfit named Bradley, both Velveeta and Travis find ways to stand up to the difficulties in their lives.

This book is a nominee for the 2014-2015 California Young Reader Medal (CYRM)...I hope it wins!

The Search for WondLa

The Search for WondLa
By Tony DiTerlizzi

This sci fi novel is the beginning of a wonderful trilogy by the author of The Spiderwick Chronicles. The illustrations are fabulous, and you can "interact" with them via webcam on the author's website: wondla.com/home/wondla-vision/).

Eva Nine is a human girl, raised for 12 years by a robot named Muthr (short for Multi-Utility Task Helper Robot). They have only ever lived underground, and Eva Nine has never even seen the sun...

Until the day a dangerous beast attacks her cozy home and forces Eva to flee into the unknown and strange above-ground.

Thus ensues a wild adventure with roaming trees, crazy giant creatures, and a hope that Eva Nine will find the human companions she longs to meet.