Fracture

Fracture By: Megan Miranda

Delaney is pulled from the water too late, but by some miracle she is brought back to life.  Her family is relieved and so is her best friend Decker, who feels it is his fault she fell into the ice and was there for 11 minutes.  But now that Delaney is back, things are not the same as they used to be.  Her relationship with Decker is strained and seems to be moving in the opposite direction that she wants it to. And worst of all she feels this itch and burning feeling that seems to lead her to people that are about to die.   She meets Troy, who tells her he knows her because he has the same feelings that she does, being drawn to people that will die shortly.  Things get scarey are confusing when she finds out the real reasons that he is tracking down the people that are about to die!  Can she work things out with Decker, and save herself from going crazy?

I thought that this book was pretty good.  It had me continuing to read to find out what was going to happen, and had an edge of suspense to it.  The characters were well laid out and you could honestly feel what they were feeling while you read it.  I did, however, think that it was kinda creepy, the plot being that she is attracted and pulled toward people about to die, so she wants to find ways to save them, while others don't.  It would be great for high school and up readers to enjoy.

I borrowed this from the public library,
ISBN: 978-0-8027-2309-3

The Drssmaker

The Dressmaker By: Kate Alcott

Tess is running away from a life of servitude.  She is able to acquire a position on the ship of the century, the Titanic.  She will be the ladies maid of the famous designer, Lucile Duff Gordon. While on the ship she meets many people, and she feels that she might have a chance at a new life in America.  When the terrible events that lead to the sinking of the Titanic occur, things begin to get muddled for Tess. She feels a strong attraction to Jim Bonney, who tells her of events that occurred on the life raft with her employer.  She also does not know where to turn when she begins to feel the stress of being a survivor and trying tro find her way in this new world. Should she believe her new friend Jim, or should she believe her employer Lucile? Does she find that she loves one man or the other?

I loved this book!!  I thought it was really well written and told a wonderful story.  I loved how the character was able to grow and learn who she was throughout the tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic.  The story drew you in immediately, and I was surprised at the telling of the story, I was glad to see it go farther than the sinking.  The author also states at the end of the book that she took the basis of the story from the transcripts of the U. S. Senate hearings after the sinking.  Great Read!

I borrowed this from the public library
ISBN: 978-0-385-53558-8

Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm

Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm By: Jerdine Nolen and Mark Buehner

Harvey Potter grows all sorts of balloons!  Big ones, little ones, ones for Halloween, ones with silly faces, animal face, you name it he grows it!  Everyone in town wonders how he does it!  Wheezle Mayfield even brought out the government hoping to get rid of Harvey and his balloons, but that didn't work.  One night, our narrator sneaks into Harvey Potter's yard to watch how he plants his balloons, and he catches her.  Instead of telling her to go away, he teaches her his secret that she is able to use on her own one day!

I love this book, the illustrations are so cool and tell the story right along with the words. My kids at home love to look at the pictures over and over again, and the kids at school loved it to!  I love the imagination of the authors to come up with a man who grows balloons like everyone else would grow corn!  Just a fantastic book to share with kids!

I borrowed this from the school library.
ISBN:  0-590-63095-4

Nathaniel Fludd Beastologist

Nathaniel Fludd Beastologist By: R. L. LaFevers Illustrated By: Kelly Murphy

Nathaniel Fludd is an orphan who has been living with a care taker for a few years. He finds out that he is going to be sent to live with the only other remaining Fludd family member, his Aunt Phil.  He is scared and nervous.  As soon as they meet they are off on an adventure to find and protect beasts. Nathaniel is learning how to be a beastologist just like all the other members of his family.  He is sad that he is not able to do things quite right but finds that he is good enough to do the job.  

I have only read the first two in this series, but I am in love with them.  I think that they are a great series for about third grade to fifth grade readers. I am reading it aloud to my fourth grade class and they are loving it.  They get frustrated when I cannot read more and more.  I think that the character of Nathaniel is so easy for them to relate to, he is young and has big responsiblities but is unsure of his own strength and intellegence.  Great Great Books.

I don't own any of these books but have been borrowing them from a friend and I cannot wait to get my own copies! :)

Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big

Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big  Explained by Fannie Fuddwupper with Berkeley Breathed Helping Slightly

Edwurd is a liar, a good one too!  His sister Fannie would not mind his lying so much if only her brother would notice her.  She really wants him to love her and play with her.  So one day Edwurd tells the biggest fib about the alien pigs that came to earth and destroyed  his mother's blue pig.  Well this sent the town into a furry, and the police and army and everyone came to town to look for these alien pigs.  Well little did Edwurd know that they would make another alien angry with all the racket!  But lucky for Edwurd he is saved by his sister!!

This book is very funny and a great read aloud for anyone.  My fourth and fifth graders enjoyed it and so do my younger kiddos.   I think the illustrations are particularly fun, they really help tell the story! This story also has a great message about love and caring for your sibling.

I borrowed this from the school library.
ISBN: 0-316-10675-5

Trance

Trance By: Linda Gerber

Ashlyn is going through the motions of her life, and headed back to work. A few weeks ago her mother was killed when a drunk driver hit them in her car. Her sister Kyra has left her house and her Dad will not talk much with her.  She feels responsible because she was drunk and did not have the vision her sister had.  Ashlyn and her sister have visions, they go into a trance and write numbers down.  Until Ashlyn begins working with Gina she does not understand that the numbers mean something.  Can she solve this mystery before it is to late and somebody else she cares for gets hurt?

This was a thrilling book!  It was fast moving and really kept you guessing.  Ashlyn knows that someone is going to get hurt but she has trouble figuring out who it is going to be until the last minute.  I thought that the characters were well thought out and made a lot of sense. This was a super clean and perfect teen read.

I borrowed this from the public library.
ISBN: 978-0-14-241415-6

Schooled

Schooled By: Gordon Korman

Cap has never felt so alone and strange in his whole life!  He has lived his whole life on a farm commune with his grandmother Rain.  But when his grandmother Rain breaks her hip, he is forced to live with a counselor and attend REAL middle school as an eight grader.  This is a whole new world for him!  It is one where he is totally confused and out of his element, and like all middle schools the kids there know it and are counting on it to have some fun.  Cap is elected the class president, and he is given the challenge to learn every students name, which they think is funny when he actually tries to do it.  Cap also lives with Sophie, who he thinks is beautiful, but she hates him. She goes out of her way to make him feel uncomfortable, but in the end he is so kind to her. When the football captain finally does something terrible to Cap and then he mysteriously disappears, the middle schoolers finally think that maybe they took things to far.

I really liked this book. One of my students did their book report on it and I was very intrigued.  I think that the storyline was brilliant, a kid who has never seen the real world and is thrown into today's middle school!  YIKES!  I thought that the way the story was told from the perspective of the different characters made the book even better, because you understood what was happening in the lives of all the characters.  The innocence of Cap, was nice to read and painful at the same time.  I highly recommend this book to any reader about fifth grade to eighth grade.

I borrowed this from the public library.
ISBN: 978-142310516-9

A Book

A Book By: Mordicai Gerstein

This is the story of  a book!  This book only tells it's story when the book is opened, but what kind of story is it telling? The characters in the book do not know because each one is trying to tell their own story.  The book focuses on the little girl in the story who spends the whole time going through different ideas for what her book should be about.  In the end she finally decides what her book is going to be about and tells her family at dinner!

I thought this was a great book!  It was funny and a great way to tell a story, by not really telling one at all.  It was fun to think about if the book is not opened then the characters cannot tell their story, so they are sleeping there in the dark waiting to wake up and tell their stories!  Great read aloud for any age.

I borrowed this from the public library
ISBN: 978-1-59643-251-2

Death By Bikini Mysteries

The Death By Bikini Mysteries By: Linda Gerber
Books in this one:  Death By Bikini, Death By Latte, and Death By Denim

Aphra Connolly lives with her father at an island resort.  She believes her life is pretty dull, as she has no friends hasn't seen a movie in four years.  That is until she meets Seth, who is on her island with his family hiding from The Mole.  The mysteries begin when a resort guest is found dead on the beach and the adventure begins when another mysterious guest arrives and the plot thickens. In the second book Aphra is determined to find her mother, who left her four years ago. When she does though her mother is not happy to see her and is upset that she is interfering with her job.  Aphra feels very upset, but when she learns the truth about what her mother does and again finds herself face to face with Seth things get messy quickly.  In the last book, Aphra is hiding out from The Mole herself.  Her mother and her are undercover in France, but she is being followed and finds out quickly that The Mole knows where she is.  Can they finally escape this nighmare?

All three Books in this one are so much fun to read. I admit they are for young adults, say high school readers, but I loved them. They have just enough mystery and a lot of action.  I like how the main character was a girl and that she had a lot of determination to solve problems, even when she is in danger. I thought that they were quick and easy to read, a perfect spring break book! And, totally clean with no icky things we really don't want our teens to read about! :)

I borrowed this from the public library.
ISBN: 978-0-14-241855-0