Vivian Apple at the End of the World

VIVAN APPLE AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Katie Coyle. HMH, January 2015

Rapture takes parents?
Vivian does not believe
And seeks an answer.

Seven Stories Up

SEVEN STORIES UP by Laurel Snyder. Random House, 2014.

Time traveling Annie
Meets her own grandmother and
Becomes her close friend.

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

OPHELIA AND THE MARVELOUS BOY by Karen Foxlee. Knopf, 2014.

The Marvelous Boy
Needs Ophelia's help to save
The entire world.

Ollie and the Science of Treasure Hunting

OLLIE AND THE SCIENCE OF TREASURE HUNTING by Erin Dionne. Dial, July 2014.

Buried treasure here?
At camp? Ollie needs to see
If rumors are true.

Five, Six, Seven, Nate

FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, NATE! by Tim Federle. Simon and Schuster, 2014.

E. T, The Musical
Should be Nate's big break on stage
And maybe romance?

Zombie Baseball Beatdown

ZOMBIE BASEBALL BEATDOWN by Paola Bacigalupi. Read by Sunil Malhotra. Listening Library, 2014.

Espionage, cows,
Immigration, zombies, and
Mysteries to solve.

Rhyme Schemer

RHYME SCHEMER by K.A. Holt. Chronicle, October 2014.

It's not poetry
Or is it? Kevin wonders
And weaves words to see.

The Scar Boys

THE SCAR BOYS by Len Vlahos. Read by Lincoln Hoppe. Listening Library, 2014.


Music can save lives.
Just ask Harry Jones who finds
Healing through music.

Revenge of the Flower Girls

REVENGE OF THE FLOWER GIRLS by Jennifer Ziegler. Scholastic, 2014.

Disrupt a wedding?
Leave that to the triplets and
Determination.

Girls Like Us

GIRLS LIKE US by Gail Giles. Candlewick Press, 2013.

Quincy, Biddy, friends?
Forced to live together they
Forge a deep friendship.

Looking for Jack Kerouac

LOOKING FOR JACK KEROUAC by Barbara Shoup. Lacewing Press, August 2014.

Paul meets Kerouac
In the pages of a book
And then face to face.

Going Graphic Week

RICKY RICOTTA'S MIGHTY ROBOT VS THE MUTANT MOSQUITOES FROM MERCURY by Dav Pilkey with illustrations by Dan Santat. Scholastic, 2014.

Ricky and Robot
Battle mutant mosquitoes
Once more saving world.

Going Graphic Week

HEARTS by Thereza Rowe. Toon Books/Candlewick Press, 2014.

Two best friends must part
One loses her broken heart
Til they're together.

GOING GRAPHIC WEEK

SISTERS by Raina Telgemeier. Scholastic/Graphix, August 2014.

Raina, Amara
Sisters who fight all the time
Stuck in car for weeks.

GOING GRAPHIC WEEK

JEDI ACADEMY: RETURN OF THE PADAWAN by Jeffrey Brown. Scholastic, September 2014.

Roan is back at
Jedi Academy to
Learn how to pilot.

GOING GRAPHIC WEEK

THE UNDERTAKING OF LILY CHEN by Danica Novgorodoff. First Second, 2014.

His brother is dead
Now he must find a wife to
Be buried with him.

Going Graphic Week

HIDDEN by Loic Dauvillier, Marc Lizano, and Greg Salsedo. First Second, 2014.

Grandma shares stories
Of her childhood spent hidden
Saved from the death camps.

GOING GRAPHIC WEEK

CLEOPATRA IN SPACE Book One: TARGET PRACTICE by Mike Maihack. Scholastic/Graphix, 2014.

Cleo travels through
Time and space to the future
Battling enemies.

Going Graphic Week

CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND THE TYRANNICAL RETALIATION OF THE TURBO TOILET 2000 by Dav Pilkey. Scholastic, August 2014.

George and Harold are
Back for an eleventh tale
Filled with the funny.

THE FOURTEENTH GOLDFISH

THE FOURTEENTH GOLDFISH by Jennifer L. Holm. Random House, August 2014.

Wen her mother brings home a teen aged boy, Ellie is sure he is just one of her new causes. Turns out, though, that this big is actually Ellie's own grandfather who has reversed his aging through an experiment. Life is bad enough with a sullen teen, but add in Melvin's imperious nature, his constant criticism, and having your grandfather going to your school and, well, you can see how much fun this is NOT for Ellie. The book design (floating goldfish at chapter headings) adds to the delight of this funny book about family, friends, and science!

The Question of Miracles

THE QUESTION OF MIRACLES by Elana Arnold. HMH, 2015 (February).

Iris and her family have moved to Oregon where she knows no one and where it seems to rain every single day. She is more than unhappy; she is miserable. She is still grieving the loss of her best friend, Sarah. She would give anything for a miracle to happen so that she could see her friend again. And then Iris meets Boris who is himself a sort of miracle. Boris, the mouth-breather, becomes Iris' friend. But Iris still wonders how some people can receive miracles while others do not. This incredible book examines faith, friendship, and family realistically for middle grade readers. Ladder to COALTOWN JESUS and GODLESS.

The Numberlys

THE NUMBERLYS by William Joyce and Christina Ellis. Aladdin/Moonbot, 2014.

What happens when there
Are no letters just numbers?
The Numberlys know.



Go here for an app for The Numberlys: http://moonbotstudios.com/the-numberlys/#.U6GwB15FEds

Animal Fare Redux

A PIECE OF CAKE by LeUyen Pham. Balzer and Bray, 2014.

Mouse has made a cake
For Bird's birthday. But the cake
Does not quite make it.

I AM COW, HEAR ME MOO! by Jill Esbaum and Gus Gordon. Dial, 2014.

Is Nadine afraid
Of anything? It turns out
That the dark scares her.

HICKORY DICKORY DOG by Alison Murray. Candlewick Press, 2014.

Rufus goes to school
To join his master Zack
Wreaking some havoc.

Nonfiction Wonders

BEHOLD THE BEAUTIFUL DUNG BEETLE by Cheryl Bardoe with illustrations by Alan Marks. Charlesbridge, 2014.

Dung beetles pretty?
They are "diamonds in the dung,"
Important insects.

FEATHERS: NOT JUST FOR FLYING by Melissa Stewart with illustrations by Sarah S. Brannen. Charlesbridge, 2014.

Feathers can protect,
Attract, dig, carry, detract
And help birds to fly.

Woodland Litter Critters ABC

WOODLAND LITTER CRITTERS A B C by Patience mason with illustrations (photographs)by Robert Mason.

Take a look around
Critters are all around you
Make some for yourself?

I love the clever ways that "litter" comes together to form all manner of creature. Kids could use this as a model for making other projects such as counting and other concept books, too.

Animal Fare Week

MOGIE, THE HEART OF THE HOUSE by Kathi Appelt with illustrations by Marc Rosenthal. Aladdin, 2014.

Mogie helps sick kids
Just by being there for them
The heart of the house.

Animal Fare Week

GOATILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS by Erica S. Perl with illustrations by Arthur Howard. Beach Lane, 2014.

Goatilocks devours
Porridge, chair, and bed but wants
To make her amends.

Animal Fare Week

GASTON by Kelly DiPucchio with illustrations by Christian Robinson. Aladdin, 2014.

Gaston the bull dog
Seems out of place in his house
But he does belong.

Animal Fare Week

MY NEW FRIEND IS SO FUN! by Mo Willems. Hyperion, 2014.

Elephant and Snake
Are worried Piggie and Bat
Are now new best friends.

Animal Fare Week

PARDON ME! by Daniel Miyares. Simon and Schuster, 2014.

How irritating
To be crowded on his pad
Or is it a pad?