Small Persons with Wings

Small Persons with Wings By: Ellen Booraem

Mellie Turpin has always see faeries, They do not like to be called that though so they are called small persons with wings.  She tried to tell her friends when she was little but then her best friend, a small person with wings, turned into porcelain.  She never forgot this and so is surprised when her family moves into her grandfather's house after he passes on that her whole family can see them.  AND that there are some small persons with wings that are not out for good but for evil. Can she protect her family and figure out just what these fairies want?

This was a pretty good book. I would not say that I loved it but it was a good read. It had mystery and a little magic.  I liked the main character and felt sorry for her that the other kids around her called her fat. I think that it is a horrible thing for kids to do to another peer.  I liked that the small persons with wings were very outspoken and the nice ones anyway were out to make her life more pleasant. Great read for fourth through about seventh grade I think.

I was given this by a student.
ISBN: 978-0-545-43931-2

Hot Rod Hamster

Hot Rod Hamster By: Cynthia Lord  Pictures By: Derek Anderson

Hamster wants to enter the Hot Rod race but he must first build a hot rod. So he heads to the junk yard to pick out his car and all the parts. Then comes the paint. When he enters the race no body thinks he is going to win, but he must might!

I love this book and so do my kiddos.  At each choice the Hamster makes the question is asked of the kids so it is very interactive. Fun for the younger crowd but great pictures make it a fun read for all!

I purchased this from Scholastic.
ISBN: 978-0-545-03530-9

One for the Murphys

One for the Murphys By: Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Carly has been placed in foster care after her stepfather beat up her mother and her.  She is placed with the Murphy family who has three younger boys.  Carly is angry and upset at first and does not know how to be a part of this new family and go to a new school. She begins to make a place for herself in this new family and makes friends at school.  She believes her mother does not want her and is afraid when she finds out that she will be going to see her mother. She had started to belong in the family she was living with and now things will change for her again.

This was one of the most amazing stories I have read. I loved it.  I cried and cheered for Carly as this story shows the emotions that she was going through and the learning that she did while being placed in foster care. As a teacher, my heart breaks for the situations that some kids are placed in today and I am so thankful for the people that are able to help these children grow while their lives are out of their control.  A must read for anyone!  Perfect for junior high readers and up.

I borrowed this from the public library,
ISBN: 978-0-399-25615-8

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight   By: Jennifer E Smith

This is the story of Hadley who is seventeen and headed to London to watch her dad get married.  She misses her first flight and is frustrated to have to wait for the next one.  She meets Oliver who is also headed to London and they strike up a conversation.  They instantly feel a connection and spend the entire flight talking.  When they reach London after a quick surprise kiss Hadley says goodbye and heads off to the wedding hoping to get there in time.  She is frustrated with her father and is not handling him getting married very well, after the ceremony she learns the real reason Oliver was in London and rushes to see him again only to have to say goodbye and head to the wedding where she can hopefully resolve the issues with her father.

I thought this was a cute story of love at first sight. It was one of those fanciful stories that you know would rarely come true but I loved it anyway.  I thought it was great how the characters connected so quickly and felt that it was a fun quick read.  I do think skeptics out there will say come on how could this possibly be something worth reading, but like I said if you just want a fun read about people falling in love at first sight this is your book. Great for high school and up!

I borrowed this from the public library
ISBN: 978-0-316-12238-2

The Beetle Book

The Beetle Book By: Steve Jenkins

This is the coolest book about beetles I have seen!  It has awesome illustrations and tons of facts about beetles! My boys love it so much that they are constantly looking at it and talking about the beetles they are seeing.  It is perfect for any bug enthusiast!

I purchased this from Scholastic
ISBN: 978-0-547-68084-2

Mythos Academy

First Frost, Touch of Frost, and Kiss of Frost  By: Jennifer Estep

Gwen has a a super power. By touching things and people she can see things and feel their emotions. This power is not always a great one to have because she sees things that she does not always want to see, and so she tries to avoid touching anyone.  In Touch of Frost Gwen looses her mother and is sent to Mythos Academy where she feels out of place because she is not as powerful as those around her. But when a student is murdered she is out to find out why and in turn puts herself in dangers path.  She meets Logan who she has feelings for and thinks he likes her too, but he is not on the same page as her.  But Gwen is able to make some friends and finally feels like she has  a place at the Academy. In  Kiss of Frost with he new friends she heads off to the Winter Carnival for a fun time. But after an avalanche that nearly kills her she knows someone is out to get her.  She tries to figure out who is trying to hurt her and finds out some interesting facts about one of her Spartan trainers.  Again Gwen is forced to fight for her life but finds that she has a new way to tap into the powers of others and that gives her an edge in the battle.

I liked these books a lot!  They are perfect for high school readers and have a ton of action and teen drama.  I think the characters are well developed and the relationships make it a perfect young adult read. The idea that there is a school for kids with super powers where they continue to fight for the mythological gods to keep balance in the world is fantastic.  The third book comes out next month, I am going to be reviewing that one for VampChix Bite Club so look for that in the future. :)

 I purchased First Frost on Amazon


I borrowed  Touch of Frost and  Kiss of Frost from the public library. ISBN: 978-0-7582-6692-7; 978-0-7582-6694-1

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins By: P.L.Travers

This is the story of Mary Poppins.  It shares the story of how Mary came to be the Nanny of the Banks children on Cherry Tree Lane. Mary has magical powers to her that allow things that are unexpected and very strange to happen all around her.  She works with the children to have them mind their manners and follow directions.

I read this because I had just seen the Broadway Musical and of course have seen the movie many times. I never knew that there was an actual series of chapter books (5 of them) about Mary Poppins.  It was interesting in that it is different from the feel of Mary that you get from the movie and musical. She is more distant from the kids and seems like a much stranger person in the book. Maybe that is attributed to it being and older novel written in 1934. Another difference is that in the book there are four children not just two and some of the events as told in the book are different and there are more strange things that happen with the children.  Interesting.

I borrowed this from the public library.
ISBN: 0-15-252595-5