every day

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“Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.”

Every Day by David Levithan is one of the most captivating teen love stories that I have read in a very long time. It is a complex story that takes the reader into the unknown. Levithan has created a beautiful, well-written story about life and how it changes from one moment to the next. The story has a science fiction twist in that the main character, called “A”, isn’t really a boy or a girl. We are lead to believe that he is a boy but we aren’t sure. Everyday “A” wakes up in a different teenager’s body, boys and girls, rich and poor, ugly and beautiful. “A” experiences their life for just 24 hours and then goes to sleep to wake up in another body the next day. But while “A’s" soul skips around from body to body he falls in love with a young girl name Rhiannon. Suddenly “A” can’t enjoy the rules of his life anymore and has found someone that he wants to spend everyday with, but can he? This is an unbelievable story people and their lives: the good, the bad, and the ugly. This is a story that makes you think about your own life.

This fabulous teen and adult read makes the reader really think deeply about how we love and how we judge people by our looks on the outside, not always what is on the inside. This story makes you think about what it would be like to be someone else even for a day. It is a very thought provoking, creative, imaginative story. A great recommendation!

Grades 8^th and above.

Meet Penelope Crumb

Penelope Crumb by Shawn Stout and Art by Valeria Docampo

“Miss Stunkel’s art class is my All-Time Favorite. Don’t get me wrong, the rest of fourth grade is all right, I guess. But for me, drawing is like wiggling my toes in the ocean. It just feels good.”

An adorable story about a true-to-life 4^th grader who has a huge sense of humor as well as a huge nose. When she discovers that her nose is rather large she decides to try and locate her missing grandfather who apparently has the same large nose. So she becomes a nose detective to try and make her family whole again. Her Grandfather went missing when her father died and Penelope doesn’t know why, she was a baby and nobody talks about him. Even though she has to sneak around and break many of her mother’s rules, she feels finding her grandfather is worth all the punishments in the world.

This is truly a lovely story about a young girl with a wonderful imagination that really makes the best out of every situation. I laughed my way through this book. The language was wonderful as well as the illustrations. Penelope is a young girl that we would all be proud to have as a friend. For those who loved the character Ramona or Clementine, they will love Penelope too. I hope this author writes more about this fabulous character!

Oink-A-Doodle-Moo

This is an adorable picture book for toddlers as well as lower school aged children. It is a barnyard game of telephone that goes hilariously wrong. This is a great read-aloud with fabulous cartoon illustrations! The story starts in a barnyard where a pig whispers into a rooster's ear and starts a game of 'telephone'. As you can imagine once all the animals get involved the "pass it on" becomes hilariously funny. This is a story that you will guarantee to read over and over again.

OINK

OINK-A-DOODLE

OINK-A-DOODLE-DOO

OINK-A-DOODLE-MOO

 

Check out this wonderful e-book

Cousins Forever is such a sweet book for young adults, grades 7-9^th. It is about everyday life in the world of 15 year-olds. It is a coming of age story but also full of real teenage situations. Most importantly, this story is about family. The author really shows the reader the importance of family as well as the importance of respecting one another’s differences.

The story begins with 15 year-old Lainey’s eccentric cousin from California and Aunt decide to move in. Her sister is away at college and suddenly her cousin with candy apple red-hair is sharing a room with her. Lainey doesn’t know why her cousin Tick and her Aunt Trudy have left California to come live clear across the country. And Lainey isn’t sure her closest friends are even going to like Tick. Tick is the complete opposite of  Lainey, she enjoys drama and she likes to get into trouble. How is Lainey going to survive having her cousin at school and in her house? A wonderful story by Dalya Moon that is very current in how teenagers interact with some subtle but important messages for young readers.

Some of my summer favorites

The Candymakers by Wendy Mass

Do you love candy?  Did you love the book and/or movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?  If you answered yes here is another sweet yet delicious story that involves, candy, mystery and friendship.

In the town of Spring Haven, four lucky 12 year-olds have been selected to enter a National candy-making contest. Meet Logan, Miles, Daisy and Philip: four contestants with four very different stories about why they should win the contest. Each child must create their own delectable new and inventive goodie. The author does a fabulous job telling the story from each character’s point of view. But as the real story emerges there is really only one big mystery to be solved.  While the story covers only the short span of two days, these young apprentices try to create their own yummy discovery while forging new friendships and learning a little bit about life in the process.

Candymakers is a mixture of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Stewart.

Recommended reading for Grades 4-6. 

The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker

This is E.D Baker’s debut novel in the comical series about a young princess, Emeralda, and her many adventures. Princess Emeralda isn’t like other princesses she doesn’t like to wear fancy dresses and have fancy meals. She certainly doesn’t want to get married and enjoys spending her free time in the swamps by the castle. One day while visiting the swamp she meets a talking frog who insists that she kiss him so that he can turn back into a Prince. An evil witch had placed a spell on him and to return to his human self a princess must give him a kiss. After much thought, Emeralda decides to kiss the frog, but unfortunately the spell reverses itself and Emeralda turns into a frog as well. Together the two leap into many adventures to find the spell that can turn them back into their human form.  An amusing fairy tale for grades 4-7. This can also be a wonderful read aloud because of the sophisticated language.Check out the rest of the books in this amusing series.

Molly Moon’s Incredible Book of Hynotism

Molly Moon has spent all her life in Hardwick House, a miserable orphanage run by hairy-faced Miss Adderson whose favorite punishment is making Molly clean the toilets with her toothbrush. But Molly isn’t’ an ordinary orphan when she discovers a very powerful book and an extraordinary talent that she possesses.  She can hypnotize people to do anything she wants them to do, anything.  She finds that she can make the cook make her favorite Italian meals, she can hypnotize herself into becoming an actress on stage as well as living in one of the swankiest hotels in New York. And so Molly’s adventures begin. Read this adorable story about a very strong little girl. Rumor has it, there could possibly be a movie in the making. Read the series first, you won’t be disappointed.

Recommended for Grades 4-6

Some great teen reads

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Wonder by RJ Palacio

A very powerful read, yet one that I would highly recommend for kids in grades 6-8^th. This is a story about a young boy that has been born with some serious malformations of his face due to a genetic disease. Yet inside he is a very normal 5^th grade boy. Like we always say in life, don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t judge a person by his/her face. This is a story with many lessons in it; this is a story that can provide for many conversations in a classroom. This is a story about life, for good or for bad. But mostly it is a story about kindness. I highly recommend this remarkable book!

The Fault in our Stars by John Green

Another powerful yet soulful story that I would recommend for teens, grades 8^th and up. This is a story about cancer, cancer in teenagers. It is about life, death, and love. Hazel is 16 with terminal cancer when she meets Augustus at her kids-with-cancer support group the two fall in love. The only caveat is they both don’t know how much longer they each have. A deeply moving story that will make you laugh and cry at the same time.  A powerful story written by an amazing author, a New York Times bestseller as well as a Printz Medal and Honor and the Edgar Award.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Macker

This is not only a great story for teens, but also a quick easy read for those of us who were teenagers during the mid-1990’s. It is a story that shows us what life was like when the Internet just became popular. When AOL sent discs in the mail so that everyone could go online and sign up for an AOL email account. Remember those days? Now think ahead, what would life been like in the 1990’s if you could see into the future, “Facebook” future. This is a story about two teenagers, Josh and Emma, that suddenly see into the future after logging onto their AOL account and find facebook 15 years later. They see what their life might be like. For good or for bad. a cute story that really shows us how Facebook has changed our lives.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

This is a very powerful book about teen suicide full of suspense and emotion. Hannah Baker is dead but before taking her life she talked about the reasons why she wanted to die and recorded them onto cassettes that she later sent out to the young people in her life she felt responsible for her death.  When Clay Jensen receives the box of her tapes in the mail he doesn’t want to have anything to do with the tapes. He feels her secrets should be buried with her but instead he begins listening to the tapes and his life is changed forever. This is truly a book that you will never get out of your mind but at the same time a book that probably has saved many lives as well. The author has created a story that many teens and parents should read on such an important topic. 

The Tail of Emily Windsnap

This is the first book in a wonderful little adventure story for middle grade girls about a mermaid. Emily is a sweet 12 years old. She has never met her father and she lives with her mother on a houseboat. The weird thing is, Emily has never learned how to swim. She isn't sure why her mother doesn't want her swimming but she has decided it is time to learn. Little does she know that once she gets into the water, her legs turn into a tail. Once Emily finds out she is a mermaid she is afraid to let her secret out. Follow Emily through her sea-filled adventures and her quest to find her father. This little series combines the life of a mermaid and that of a middle schooler.

The Tail of Emily Windsnap
Emily Windsnap the Monster from the Deep
Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist
Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret