A Soup Opera

A Soup Opera is a delightful picture book written by Jim Gill.  I bought this to read in my music class, not really knowing what to expect.  I put the CD in for my first class and opened it up and was delighted.  It's an "Opera" about a guy who can't eat his soup.  He repeats his problem over and over in a rich operatic voice and other characters come in and try to solve his problem.  It's repetitive in a manner that just encourages kids to sing along and the format allows for an easy introduction to operatic singing. 

My first and second graders ask for this book every day and my third through fifth graders loved hearing it when I played it in class.  It's funny and the punch line comes off at the best time.

The included CD includes multiple repetitions of the book both in one track and separated for teachers that want to act out the play in class.

Attachments -- Romance for teens

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell follows Lincoln a recent college graduate who lives with his mom and works at a newspaper as a security officer, reading flagged e-mails.  Lincoln soon finds himself looking forward to the flagged e-mails of best friends Beth and Jennifer and finds himself falling for Beth.

This is a fantastic story of a young adult growing up and learning to stand on his own, two best friends dealing with the ins and outs of life and an unlikely romance.  I cheered for Lincoln as he made strives in his life.  This is one of those sweet romances that makes you smile and the ending was fantastic.

Appropriateness:  This is a great romance for teens.  The point of the romance was the two getting together, not the sex.  There's some partying mentioned (but everyone's of age) and sex mentioned but not as part of the romance.

Sizzle

Sizzle by Lee McClair follows Linda who is forced to move from her aunts home in New Mexico where she cooks spicy Mexican food on a daily basis to Pittsburgh with her Aunt Pat (the Queen of Cans) and her very large family.  Linda must learn to deal with a new school, a new family and somehow try to make her love of cooking work with an Aunt that doesn't use fresh food.

I loved reading about Linda, a Hispanic girl living as a foster child and trying to figure out how to navigate a different world.  The descriptions of the food that she makes are mouth watering.  I finished this book in an afternoon, unable to put it down.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book.  There is a bit of romance and boyfriend talk (enough that it would probably turn off boys).   I would recommend this book to readers 9-13.  It's a good book to talk about what makes a family and how compromise can work when trying to work through differences.

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Confessions of a Hater

Confessions of a Hater by Caprice Crane is a fantastic book that follows former nerd Hailey as she moves across the country.  In her new town Hailey decides to reinvent herself following the rules she found in her sister's diary.  She bands together with the invisible kids at school to take down the popular kids.

This is a fun book that will be enjoyed by readers who loved the movie Mean Girls.  Hailey is a fun character who gets in a lot of hijinks that are fun to read about.  I flew through the book enjoying every juicy and fluffy moment.  It wasn't the most original story but it was fun.

Approrpiateness:  This book is full of adult content that is fine for teen readers but not really anything that parents would want their middle school readers reading.  It's got sex (including a couple fairly graphic oral sex moments), drugs and drinking.  I recommend this book to readers 14+

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Uninvited

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan follows Davy, a rich pretty and talented musician who finds her life changing after a genetic test declares that she's a carrier for the gene that marks her as a future killer.  She's kicked out (uninvited) from school and sent to a holding cell classroom in the local public school.  After an altercation with her boyfriend at a party she's branded so the public is warned about her "violent" tendencies and the government is placing more restrictions on carriers every day.

I really liked this book.  The dystopian society worked well and wasn't too unbelievable.  Sophie was a character that I found myself cheering for.  She didn't have the "stupid girl" syndrome that so many YA heroines have and I believed the choices she made based on her background.  All the problems that occur fit well with the plot line and Davy's reactions to them make sense.  The love interest Sean is mysterious and dangerous in just the right way.  The story moved quickly and ended in a way that both left me satisfied and wanting more.  I rushed through the book, unable to put it down.  I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Appropriateness:  This is a great book that will appeal to young adult/crossover fans of thrillers and dystopian romances.  The romance is heavy and steamy, not inappropriate for the intended YA audience but is a little much for younger middle school readers who like to read up in the genre.  There's no drug or alcohol use.  As would be expected by the summary the book can be quite violent at times.  I recommend this book to readers 13+ 

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Nick and Tesla's Robot Army Rampage

Nick and Tesla's Robot Army Rampage is a fantastic book that combines a great adventure story about two eleven year old detectives with directions on how to make the robots that they use to save the day.

This is a terrific book.  It's formatted in much of the same way that "cooking" fiction books are formatted except instead of recipes throughout the story it's directions to help kids make the gadgets that the characters use on their quest.  This is the book that every young engineer and scientist will adore.

I recommend this book to readers 9-13.  The robots will need a bit of adult help if they want to create the robots (batteries and cutting wire).

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Up in the Air

Up in the Air by Ann Marie Meyers follows Melody who wants to fly.  Then all of a sudden she's in another world where dreams come true.  She can stay in this world or the world where she grow up.  She stays so she can fly but has to learn how to keep all of her new abilities.

The characters in this book were interesting to read about.  The main guide Sara was very wise but Melody, the main character was a bit testy at times.  The reader feels like they're flying right with melody and the problems that she must solve.  This was a great book that I couldn't wait to finish.

This book has no adult content although it's a bit scary.  I would recommend it for readers 9-14 and it would work well as a read aloud.

This review was written with the help of a very smart fifth grader.  Review copy provided by the Publisher.

The Rainforest Grew All Around

The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K Mitchell and Illustrated by Connie McLennan is a rewrite of the classic cumulative song The Green Grass Grew All Around using animals and plants from the rainforest.

This is a terrific version of the song and the text sings well.  The pictures are lush and exciting and there's also more information which can be read by students who are reading the book independently.  My students enjoy this book.

I recommend this book for kids 5-9

Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child

Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child by Maria T. Lennon follows Charlie C Cooper who loves fashion and is an expert at computer hacking.  She pulled off a cruel prank that found her in a new school and seeing a shrink who makes her befriend the most lonely, hated girl in the whole school.

This is a great book with different characters and unexpected twists.  It's hard to put down and was finished quickly.

Appropriateness:  I would recommend this book to girls 9-13.  It's got some period talk that will make boys and younger kids go ick but besides that there's no adult content.

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Independent Study

Independent Study is the second book in the Testing series by Joelle Charbonneau.  This book takes place in a dystopian society where the best and brightest must make their way through an intensive testing process where failure can be deadly.

Now that Cia has made it though the initial phase of the testing and has moved to the university she hopes that everything for her classmates and herself will be back to normal, but the message she left herself makes her question everything she sees.  What actually happens to the students who are redirected?  Can she handle the induction process?

This book avoided the sophomore slump that most dystopian novels hit.  Instead of having the heroine travel to or go to another society this book keeps her in the same society but ramps up the paranoia and keeps the adventure.  I was on the edge of my seat as Cia worked to make sure that she passed her tests and wondered which of her classmates were on her side and which were trying to get rid of her.  I found myself speeding through the book and while the end was satisfying it also left me waiting for the next book.  While this book (and the first) are very close to the Hunger Games, it didn't fail to keep me entertained or guessing what would happen next.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book.  It is very violent with both psychological and physical terror.  I recommend this book to readers 13+ and the series is a great one to recommend to fans of The Hunger Games.

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Being Sloan Jacobs

Being Sloan Jacobs by Lauren Morril follows two girls named Sloane Jacobs who meet at a hotel on their way to skating camp.  Sloan Devon is a hockey player who has had major issues with aggression and is being sent to hockey camp by her coach.  Sloan Emily is a figure skater who isn't sure that she wants to comeback but is being sent to figure skating camp by her parents.  The two decide to switch places for the summer and adventure and understanding follows.

I was initially unsure when I found that this was going to be a switch book, the trope has been done over and over.  I kept on though and really found myself enjoying it.  The hockey and figure skating scenes were written in a way that made me feel like I was part of the action.  The romances were secondary to the story but sweet.  Most of all I enjoyed the journey that the girls went on, gaining confidence by trying something new.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book.  Although the girls go to a bar they make a point of stating that they don't drink.  The main characters are seventeen and thinking of college and their futures.  The romances they get in are sweet and involve nothing more than kissing.  I recommend this book for readers 13+ however there is nothing in this book that would make it even risky for younger readers.

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