Sweet Valley Jr. High--Get Real

Sweet Valley Jr. High--Get Real
created by Francine Pascal



I wish I'd been aware of this book when I'd gone through middle school; it would have been such a great time to get into this series instead of starting off with the age-inappropriate Sweet Valley High series. This is the only Sweet Valley series that I haven't read, so naturally, the curiosity got to me. I only read the first book and loved it a lot more than some of the other SV series, I can tell you that. The characters are more real, and, as of book 1, although I don't know if it changed or not, this series seems like it might lack the unrealistic and/or supernatural elements found in some of the other SV series. Say what you will about the writing and plot in the Sweet Valley universe, and we all know that they are subpar, props to Francine Pascal for creating such a wonderful circle of characters that we've all come to know very well and love (or hate, depending on the character!). That being said, I wish some of the old characters were included in this series to provide at least a bit of continuity. As much as I dislike her, I was glad to see Lila make an appearance, just as a connection to the other books. I did like the new character Salvador, and I think he fits in with the universe perfectly. Wouldn't he and Winston Egbert be a laugh together? Anyways, yay for more teen angst, or something along those lines?

Rating: For an SV book, this one gets a high rating. I'm going with a 4/5.

I got this book from...:BookMooch

Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch

Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch
written by Barbara Park



This, among the other Junie B. Jones books, is a fantastic example of children's literature. The journal entries as well as the first-person narration make for a very relatable book for this age level. I know when I was a child, I completely related to Junie B. Jones, despite her love of over-exaggeration. It's childish in a charming way, and I can't wait to keep these books in my classroom when I'm teaching. The series is funny for all ages, and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself laughing through this reading of Boss of Lunch. I thought the humor would all be for the kids, but even as an adult, it's hilarious how insane Junie B's mind is. It's just a funny book, possibly even funnier to an adult than to a child!

Rating: 5/5

I got this book from...:Swaptree

Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy

Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy
written by Wendelin Van Draanen



The awesome thing about Sammy Keyes is that unlike her literary counterparts Cam Jansen and Encyclopedia Brown (nothing against the two of them, really, they both have their wonderful stories that I love and adore), her mysteries are not easy to figure out. The stories are filled with more plot twists and amidst the unpredictability is room for a lot of characterization, which is done wonderfully by Wendelin Van Draanen. The mysteries are, as I mentioned, a lot more complex. They're not just "hey, look, I've found a minor discrepancy in your story that solves this case" simple, there's actual sleuthing on Sammy's part, with false trails everywhere, never quite sure who the culprit is until the final big reveal. The Sammy Keyes books are descriptive in a witty, not annoying way, unlike most books. The description is all very true to the narrative tone. Another great thing about the books is that they really are a series, they work as stand-alones, but you miss out on some great subplots that run through the entire series that make it a really dynamic set of books. The greatest thing about this series is that it deals with real issues. There are children in foster care, really poor foster care at that, kids who take up smoking at a really young age, and things like neglectful parents do exist. They're not major issues in the story, but they're there in the background, dealt with in extremely tactful and age-appropriate ways. And yet, in spite of the hardships the characters have thrown at them, they do act their age. For instance, a majority of this book focuses on Sammy's tangential softball adventures, and her and her group of friends simply being kids. It's a fantastic series for kids that I highly recommend.

Rating: 4/5 for this installment of the series,
5/5 for the series overall

I got this book from...:Swaptree

Walking Backward

Walking Backward
written by Catherine Austen



Walking Backward is a great book for children who are dealing with a death of a loved one. The narrator is a really perceptive character whose thoughts are interesting to follow along with, as long as one is prepared to be depressed. There are subtle happy moments in the book, but for the most part, it's a serious-toned book with a purpose. There is only one conflict through the entire book--a child and his family dealing with his mother's death. It portrays different coping strategies, but that's pretty much it. There's not much else storywise, and what the readers are given is really predictable. It would have been good as a short story, but as a book, I think I'd only recommend it to kids who are going through a similar point in their lives. It's really not interesting if you don't know the emotions that go along with the death of a loved one.

Rating: 3/5

I got this book from...:LibraryThing Early Reviewers

The People of Sparks

The People of Sparks
written by Jeanne DuPrau



I found this book to have many of the similar problems that other sequels encounter--there's not much interesting. The odd thing is, this is typically due to a sequel serving as a bridge between books, but honestly, I'm not seeing very much that'll come in use for future books. We'll see though. Although Lina and Doon are still characters, I felt like they didn't get nearly enough page-time. Too many new secondary characters were introduced, and while some of them had personalities that were interesting enough, others did not. We still don't have any new information about the mythology, which is disappointing. The book's boredom was aggravated by the fact that it moved slower than the first fast-paced book. A lot of time was dedicated to necessary but overly preachy social and political commentary. I don't know if a child would have the patience to sit through this, particularly when I can see many of the social/political references completely going over their heads. I would love to see a return to Ember, or something that somehow connects to the first book, other than the characters. It's easy to understand: this book was too simple and too predictable to truly have been enjoyable.

Rating: 1.5/5

I got this book from...:Waldenbooks

The City of Ember

The City of Ember
written by Jeanne DuPrau



The City of Ember was an easy but enthralling read, so ridiculously easy to love. The characters were so real in this unreal world, presented with plenty of exposition. Plotwise, the book excels, with plenty of fast-paced suspense carrying the reader steadily through the book. The characters act so realistically—like the children they are, but with unambiguous bravery. It’s full of the characterization symbolism, and other literary elements that teachers crave, but also filled with wonder, suspense, and just an amazing plot that kids of all ages will enjoy. It ends on a cliffhanger, so I strongly suggest having the second book on hand to immediately jump into—trust me, you’ll want to have it.
Rating: 5/5

I got this book from...:Waldenbooks

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
written by E.L. Konigsburg



I'm not sure there was much to like about this book. The writing was dreadfully dull and overly descriptive, not at all realistic to what a 12-year-old narrator would sound like. There was nothing captivating about the plot, and most of the characters, with the possible exception of Jake, were horribly two dimensional. It's bad enough that the story was boring and unappealing, but the fact that it moved slowly with no subplots made it even worse. The characters seem cute and quirky, but turn out to be ridiculously simplistic, reminding me of Juno. It seems overall like the kind of book written to be read and analyzed endlessly and pointlessly in classrooms. I did enjoy the fact that there was a wrap-up at the end, allowing for some quick closure and letting the story come full circle, but it's a little disappointing when the only thing you like is the very end of a book.

Rating: 1.5/5

I got this book from...:Bookmooch.com

Artificial Snow

This reminds me so much of Kate Klise's Regarding the Sink.

Luv Ya Bunches

Luv Ya Bunches
written by Lauren Myracle



Luv Ya Bunches, although written for a younger (target age group: 9-13) audience, is a book that will easily be enjoyed by readers of a wider span of ages. Speaking as an 18 year old, I genuinely enjoyed this book for what it was, not in a "aw, look at the cute younger kids!" way. I think I was most excited about seeing a Muslim girl portrayed not as the "token Muslim girl" (even though in some ways, that was still her role), but as a genuine character in a group of 4 entering fifth graders. All of the characters are fantastically well-developed for a group of 11 year olds, which is a real testament to the amazingness of Lauren Myracle's writing. The social networking site, SomethingSomethingBlahBlah.com (it needs a better name!) brings the girls all together in a really cute way-something you do actually get to see in the day of Facebook, Myspace, Ning, and the like. I was very glad to see she did an IM-format book featuring a younger generation, though the nod back to the original Internet Girls was adorable! The fact that the book was written in present tense really helped provide a playful edge to the story. The girls are so realistic and, as a result of that, extremely likeable. They are given real-life struggles that are portrayed so elegantly by Myracle, in a way that is not overwhelming at all for 11 year olds to read, but also a way that adds a lot more dimension to both the books and the characters. The situations these girls go through are all things that real girls go through (I can tell you that the incident with the turtle? Yeah, I had that same thing happen to me in the third grade with a beanie baby, being framed to look like I had stolen it and put it in my backpack. SAME story.) and it is important that there are books like this out there to serve as reassurance that their situations are not at all unique, that others are dealing with the same thing, they are far from alone. I am so proud of Lauren Myracle for addressing real life issues, messed up parents, girl fighting, and more, things that we as a society oftentimes fail to prepare our daughters for. This was a story with real life girls dealing with real life struggles in a way that shows friendship as stronger than any difficulties they may be faced with.

Rating: 5/5

I got this book from...:Bookmooch.com

The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel)

x-posted to YA-Bookaholic.

I feel like this is a book that is meant for children but can easily be enjoyed by YA/Adults as well, hence the cross-posting.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel)
written by Ellen Raskin



The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel) is an amazing book that can be equally enjoyed by adults and children alike. Adults reading the book see more layers to it than the kids, but the read is just as mysterious and enjoyable (although the idea of marriage at that young an age will be a squicky one). If you have read Ellen Raskin's Westing Game, and even if you haven't, this is a book you really need to get your hands on. I've read some of her other books, but absolutely nothing compares to these two classics. This one comes fully equipped with hysterical characters and plenty of footnotes. It's adorably quirky without trying too hard. Every thing, every hilarious incident, is narrated casually and in a way that just makes it all funnier. Everything is so tantalizingly cryptic, and at times, downright confusing, but it's a huge relief when everything really falls into place and you realize that every event that was narrated is somehow connected to the big picture scheme. Other than all that, it's a very readable book. The chapters are divided up into small sections and just style-wise, it's an easy but really worthwhile read. It really emphasizes the reason why we love Ellen Raskin so much--plot twists and surprises everywhere! The other really nice thing is that the mystery is not at all obvious. Nobody would ever suspect the outcome, but it's such a compelling one! It's got snark, puzzles, humor, definitely not just a kids' book. It is also really nice, at the end, to get closure from all of the characters, so I do appreciate it when authors like Raskin do things like that.

Rating: 5/5

A House Called Awful End

A House Called Awful End
written by Philip Ardagh



I was sorry to have wasted my time with this book. I thought it'd be a fun, whimsical book, something like a cross between Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket, both of whom I adore. Unfortunately, this one is just...too random, has no apparent plot, and is just ultimately dull. There are so many storylines, each one more absurd than the next, and everything's everywhere and disjointed and Ardagh just tried too hard to be funny and failed miserably. It was a pointless book, all 2D characters with nothing to keep them or their situations interesting. There was certainly potential for a plot, but nope, nothing. Just a frustratingly pointless, plotless read. Not a fan, not a fan at all.

Rating: 1/5

Dying To Meet You: 43 Old Cemetery Road

Dying to Meet You: 43 Old Cemetery Road
written by Kate Klise, illustrated by Sarah Klise



So the diehard Kate&Sarah Klise fan inside me has been sadly disappointed. These lovely ladies have written many a fantastic book, definitely my favorite ones out there, but this one just fell short. It seemed like a lot of it was aimed towards much younger kids than the other novels, and it just really seemed to lack a plot. It had all the elements of the other books, stylistically, but there were no secondary plots (and like I said, I had trouble locating a dominant plot, not just secondary), and no powerful plot twists, two things that made their other novels absolutely spectacular. Typically, their books involve lots of characters with brilliantly punny names, leading very separate lives and over the course of the book, the connections grow stronger and stronger, until you realize they are all involved in whatever the main dilemma may be. In this one, there's just one main dilemma, very minor secondary characters (by which I probably just mean his parents), and no clear hook. Everything was incredibly predictable. I'm not sure what the sequel will contain, and I'm also not sure if I really want to read it. I want more of the old Klise stuff, the spine-tingling, gut-busting mysteries that I immersed myself in, reread after reread. I just...I was disappointed. I expected much better from these two. Again, maybe it's been dumbed down so younger kids would understand what's going on, but it certainly doesn't make for an interesting story.

Rating: 3/5

Anything But Typical

Anything but Typical
written by Nora Raleigh Baskin



Now that I've read Anything but Typical and Googled Nora Raleigh Baskin, I have realized that I've read another book of hers, it seems like it was in another lifetime, really. This was back when I first got into YA, really got into reading frenzies, and picked up a promising book entitled What Every Girl (except me) Knows. This was when I was trying to figure out life and growing up and changing schools and your typical middle school crud. It's just really intriguing to me that she wrote that book, and then years later, I pick up another of her books without even realizing it. Anything but Typical is another story of a misfit, but this time, our main character is autistic. I almost feel like this book needs to come with a warning: you will absolutely love love love the main character and want to hug him as much as humanly possible, and then probably forget to realize that he's not actually real. I've never had any experience with autism, so this was not only a good read, but an enlightening one. It was really neat seeing just how brilliant this boy was, but how much trouble he had expressing himself. You'll relate, and very quickly forget that there's anything different about him, he'll just be an incredibly interesting kid you wish you knew. And that's the point. If more kids read about autistic children, they'd learn that they require a little more patience and understanding, but are just kids like them in the end. This book is a methodical lesson in writing, in autism, and in life. Absolutely wonderful!

Rating: 5/5

Stanley Yelnats' Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake

Stanley Yelnats' Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake
written by Louis Sachar



As much as I adore Louis Sachar, this book was pretty pathetic, and quite obviously a marketing ploy. While I was glad that there wasn't excessive recappage, mostly everything found in this book could have either been inferred from Holes, or was directly out of the book. There are some really neat extra tidbits that are worth reading, but it's not worth paying the $4.99 just for those, when I'm sure they could be found online. I just feel like this was written to ride the wave of Holes hysteria after the movie came out. No surprise, they were released the same year. It's like someone's saying, "hey, don't wanna read through the big thick book? Read this condensed version instead!", which is, quite frankly, frustrating. On the other hand, I would have loved to read Pendanski's book, much more so than Small Steps, which was what came after.

Rating: 1.5/5

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective
written by Donald Sobol



Thanks to my awesome friend Talitha for making me revisit such an amazingly influential childhood book. I know this series inspired me to read many other mystery series, like Cam Jansen, Nancy Drew, and The Boxcar Children. It's probably why I still like suspenseful mystery novels today. I remember being frustrated over not knowing the solution--well, funnily enough, rereading the book, I still rarely ever knew what the solution to the case was until I read it! I love the do-it-yourself element to the mysteries, although all the page turning always got on my nerves. It gives kids this great feeling of, hey, look, Encyclopedia can be a detective and SO CAN I! This is definitely a favorite worth introducing to your kids, so both you and they can have fun trying to solve the mysteries! If you're not a kid, still worth the revisit, see how many of the old cases you can crack now.

Rating: 5/5

Gertrude the Albino Frog and her Friend Rupert the Turtle

Gertrude the Albino Frog and her Friend Rupert the Turtle
written by Marcia Silvermetz, illustrated by Ginger Doyel



While Gertrude was a really great read, I feel like the book should come with a warning label: Read Only To Children With Attention Spans. I made the mistake of reading it to a group of kids who were ages 3-6. The 3/4 year olds really couldn't care less and would not sit still long enough. Even some of the 5 year old kids got bored. The 6 year olds (and there were only two of those) were the only ones who really seemed interested. They did enjoy the story, though, as did I. Gertrude is a great story of acceptance and tolerance, and while that point may just fly over some kids' heads, it is one that will hopefully stick in some and make them realize that it's no good to be a "bully frog". Some of the rhyming got excessive (there is one section of rhyme that lasts a page, is very rambly, and lost everyone's attention, including my own) but overall, good book, if not too wordy. The illustrations are gorgeous as well!

Rating: 4/5

The Night the Scary Beasties Popped Out of My Head

The Night the Scary Beasties Popped out of My Head
written and illustrated by Daniel and David Kamish



I would absolutely love to start this blog off with some thoughts about my favorite children's book. Unfortunately, I didn't discover this book until about last year, so I never got to experience it as a child. However, at the children's museum, I've been pushing this book at random kids, making sure it's displayed in prominent places, offering to read it to them, etc. I think some of them really love it, but some of the older kids have been slightly indifferent. I still absolutely adore it. The story has the coolest illustrations ever. From what I've read, and I could be wrong, but I've heard that in this father-son duo, the child did the illustrations, but some of the more complicated backgrounds (e.g. one that looks like Van Gogh's Starry Night) were done by the father. They are astoundingly complex images, and grab the attention of both children and adults alike. The other thing is the subject matter itself, vanquishing nightmares. But it's done so atypically, telling the child that they can go out there and, well, basically imagine their nightmares away. You've got to love it, and I do personally know many children on whom this strategy would work, without a doubt. Just a fantastic read.

Rating: 5/5

Welcome!

What people sometimes fail to realize is that children's books can be just as amazing as any other books. So this is a blog dedicated to picture books, young readers, and easy chapter books. I do hope you enjoy reading my thoughts, and I look forward to hearing yours!