24 Girls in 7 Days by Alex Bradley

24 Girls in 7 Days by Alex Bradley


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book was humorous yet insightful. It is a perfect example of a person thinking they really want something until they actually get it. Jack Grammar is a senior without a prom date or much popularity at all. When his friends decide to put an ad in the school newspaper, Jack is suddenly covered in potential dates. He gains years of dating experience in a week. Jack grows as a person. He learns more about what is really important in life and not to overlook what is right in front of your face. This is a good book for high school students. The material is harmless enough younger readers could enjoy it as well.




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Crash by Jerry Spinelli

Crash by Jerry Spinelli


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is a good coming of age story for middle school students. John Coogan, "Crash," is a seventh grade athlete who begins the story as a very self-centered person. As the book progresses, he is forced - due to a family medical emergency - to grow up a little. He begins to see how his actions could effect other people. I would recommend this story to anyone who is middle school or older. It probably has more appeal to male readers, but females could enjoy it as well.




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Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Just Ella is Margaret Peterson Haddix's version of the Cinderella story after the ball and without the magic. I really liked Haddix's character development. Ella is a strong female character with a need to control her life. While I do not believe I would have made the same decisions Ella makes in the story, I think she is a good example of a teen taking her life into her own hands and changing her future. This is a great book for teens. There is very little material that would be considered questionable for younger readers.




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Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I have always loved Cornelia Funke's work. Igraine the Brave is unlike any of the other books I have read by Funke. It is written for younger readers than her typical target audience. The characters are fun and so is the plot. I liked this story. Igraine is a strong female character with a mind of her own. The whole story is cute a fun with some mild violence. It is written for middle school age children or even younger children with higher reading levels. I thought it was a cute fast read that would be good for girls who like to be a little different.




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Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes

Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance 1973 by John Barnes


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really love this story. The madmen are a fascinating group of people. I enjoyed reading about the different lives of the students in this book. This story gave you a different perspective for all of the kids in your high school who were labeled as difficult. Often, we make the mistake of assuming people just want to be a pain instead of looking at what they might be experiencing outside of school. I liked this book because of the characters. This author is wonderful at developing characters. I would not recommend this story for younger readers. There is a lot of material that would be inappropriate for children under about fourteen, but it is wonderful for high school students or adults.




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Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I hate to admit that it took me almost half of this book to figure out who all of the characters were and be able to actually follow the plot. I did enjoy getting to know the characters, but I was uncertain about the plot. I don't feel like much actually happened in the story. The author has a talent for getting into a character's mind. This is a good book for middle or high schoolers




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Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Dear John is a pretty typical Nicholas Sparks book. It has the standard love story and illness combination. I have to say it wasn't my favorite book by Nicholas Sparks. I thought some of the aspects of the plot were not terribly realistic. I can't imagine how the couple could have fallen so deeply in love so quickly. I also had some trouble with the progression of the character's illness. Of course, Sparks is an excellent writer. His characters are strong and believable, and the plot is typical of many love stories that military men and women have to undergo.




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Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I tend to read mostly mid grade or young adult books, but this title was in the adult section. It is by Meg Cabot, who writes many young adult books like the Princess Diaries series. I haven't read anything she has written that I haven't like and this is no exception.

Heather Wells is a washed-out pop singer who gets abandoned by her mother and obtains employment at a college dorm (or residence hall as the story is careful to call it). But her passion is not managing the residence hall, it is solving crimes the police can't seem to acknowledge. When girls in her dorm start dieing, she jumps into action.

This book is great for learning to accept yourself as you are. It shows that beauty does not mean a size four, and at least in stories, some people have probably dealt with more than you.

I love Meg Cabot. This book is definitely on the adult shelf for good reason, but older teens could enjoy it as well.

I had to run out and find the second book in this series.


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The Door To Time By Michael Merryweather

The Door To Time by Michael Merryweather

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book was written for a mid grade audience and for that group it might work well. I hate to criticize authors in my blog, but I did not really like this book. For me, there was too much coincidence. Too many things just happened. The kids guessed too much. I also felt the kids were in situations that were too dangerous with an adult watching but not interfering, of course that wouldn't bother kids.

I think this book is going to be a series and many kids who enjoy a little magic will probably like it.


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Wish by Alexandra Bullen

Wish by Alexandra Bullen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alexandra Bullen's writing style reminds me of Meg Cabot. Wish was her first book. Her second book, Wishful Thinking, seems to have the same magical element to it. She is a very talented author, and I think we will be seeing a lot more of her work.

When I first started reading Wish, after looking at the jacket copy, I thought it would make a much better story if it were about a girl loosing her sister than one wishing to get her back. I judged the story too quickly. It was about a girl coping with her loss.

This story was excellent. It helps the reader to grow and accept unpleasant change just as the main character must. But it also reminds us never to stop living just to live longer or safer.

I would recommend this story to teens and up. There are a few aspects of the book that wouldn't be appropriate for younger readers.


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Savvy by Ingrid Law

Savvy by Ingrid Law

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ingrid Law uses the "everyone wishes they could wake up and be someone else" theory for this book. The characters in the world she has created have a special talent that appears on their thirteenth birthday.

Savvy, her first book, won a Newbery Honor. It is a wonderful story about a girl who turns thirteen amidst tragedy and confusion in her family. She gains her savvy, but it isn't what she at first thinks. Then as she and a group of others hitchhike, they learn about themselves and grow as people and friends.

This is a great book for young teens, and younger. I suppose even adults like me would enjoy it. I would recommend this book for preteens and teens who like to use their imagination and dream of waking up with new abilities.




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From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I don't know how I managed to go so long without reading this book. I really enjoyed it. Two kids run away in style and stay at the museum. Then, there is a mystery they feel compelled to solve. This is a cute story about growing up and finding yourself. There isn't any material that would be questionable for younger readers. I would recommend this book for anyone with a high enough reading level (about 3rd grade).




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Ida B...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World!

Ida B. . . and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. It reminded me of Kate DiCamillo's writing. Ida B is a wonderful, exciting character. She is easy to love. The plot is awesome too. Ida B is happy at home with her family. She loves to be home schooled and enjoy the apples trees on their property until one day her mother gets sick. As if it isn't' bad enough to be worried about her family, she has to go back to school and they need to sell some land. Ida B has to cope with the changes in her life. She has to accept the fear she feels and try to move forward. This story is touching. If anyone has ever had a loved one fall ill with cancer or any other disease, this story would touch them.

I would recommend this book to just about anyone. Cancer is a hard topic, but it touches most everyone at some point. Hannigan handles the topic in such a way even a very young reader could enjoy this story.


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Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I don't usually read "adult books," but Firefly Lane came highly recommended by a friend and I passed it along to my mother after I read it. She enjoyed it too. It is a beautiful story of a lifelong friendship. It reminded me of Summer Sisters by Judy Blume (another great adult read).

Two young girls are brought together by unpleasant circumstance and coincidence. They share their secrets and their lives and are both better people because of it. They make mistakes and learn forgiveness. Although parts are very sad, this book holds the reader from beginning to end and makes you want more.

I enjoyed reading about and reflecting on the different choices the girls made as their lives progressed. It makes you want to stop and look at your own life and examine the path you have chosen.

Not a book for children. But for anyone who has carried a friendship through thick and thin, loss and heart ache, joy and triumph; this book will make you smile, laugh, sigh, nod, and cry.
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Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Worth the wait.

Suzanne Collins did it again. Seldom do you find a sequel as good as the first, but this trilogy ends as strongly as it began. The characters are still growing, and the plot is still strong. The plot shifts and surprises were enthralling.

Katniss must lead a revolution whether she chooses to or not. The Districts will no longer lie down and take what the Capital is dishing out, but the price for freedom is never small. Both sides will take huge losses and as a reader, we feel many of them deeply.

Personally, I found some of the choices the characters make disturbing, but this story is written as a reflection on true human character, not what we wish we were like. When reading a book like this, we are forced to stand back and take a look at the way we as human beings treat each other.

The ending is bittersweet, but it wasn't written as a fairy tale. Collins is an extraordinary writer. I hope to read many more books by her.

I would strongly recommend this book for high schoolers and adults. I would not recommend it for a child under twelve.

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Reading and to read

I just finished reading Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. It was excellent. Everyone who writes even if they don't consider themselves a writer should read this book. Lamott gives you the inspiration you need to keep going.

In case you don’t already know, there are at least two great books coming this summer.



Runaway by Meg Cabot is due in stores on April 20th. I can't find a countdown widget :(

And
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins will be out on August 24th, 2010. (I am trying to add the countdown widget to my blog.)
I am so excited!

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I waited years to read this story because I usually don’t like science fiction. However, it is one of the best books ever written. I understand it won several of the most prestigious awards given to science fiction books. Although the story was not written as a children’s book, the main character, Ender, is only six when the narrative begins and about twelve when it ends.

Card makes you think about the world we live in. The reader has to question how we really treat children, and how we act toward anything that is different. For children who are exceptionally bright, Ender can serve as a hero and a warning. This book makes you think.

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All American Girl by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot is one of my favorite writers. She writes about teen girls we can relate to. This story is no different.

All-American Girl by Meg Cabot


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Samantha Madison is a normal, shy girl until she saves the life of the president of the United States. Suddenly, she is forced into the spotlight at school, in the press, and anywhere else she might try to go. As a matter of fact, she find attention everywhere except for where she wants it, home. Of course, being around the president might not be all bad if you decide you like his son.

Meg Cabot has a talent for taking normal teens and putting them in extraordinary circumstances. This book is as good as her others. Cabot creates a remarkable set of believable characters to carry the reader through the story. This story is fun for teens, preteens, and adults.

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Hank Zipzer: Holy Enchilada!

Holy Enchilada! by Henry Winkler


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Hank Zipzer is a forth grade boy with a lot of personality. He isn’t perfect, has interesting pets and cool friends. Children can relate to a character that can’t always do everything right. In this story, Hank has trouble making enchiladas because he doesn’t understand the fractions in the recipe. It is a cute story about a boy who makes a mistake and has to own up to it. We learn about friendship and responsibility while laughing. I can see how elementary school students could fall in love with this character.

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As a writer, I try to read books in the genre I like to write. I am currently working on chapter books, so this book helped me to better understand what kids today want to read. Honestly, the second or third grade student the writer intended this story for would have enjoyed it more than I did, but I still felt it was a good book.

Holidays, Resolutions, and Stuffy Noses

I fell off the planet for a few months, but with the holidays and such I suppose I wasn’t the only one. Now I am returning to find complete chaos where I left merely disorder.

My last entry was before Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. I hope everyone had a lovely break and had a chance to enjoy family.

The house now echoes with a cacophony of bells. I tried to keep the cat inside, but once it learned to use the dog door, those attempt were futile. Before long, it was jumping the fence and exploring. He caught small animals until we put a bell on its collar. The bell worked beautifully until the weather dropped below freezing and decided to stay for weeks. The animals slowed down and the cat didn’t. In a week’s time, he had caught: two birds (one we were able to save), two squirrels, and a vole. Something had to be done. Perhaps it is a bit excessive, but he now wears a collar of seven bells and has not brought another “gift” home.

When the cat is calm, the house is filled with the sound of children. Who could ask for a more beautiful sound? (Provided the sound occurs prior to eleven o’clock.) Unfortunately, my youngest son has given up sleep. He is a very creative child and has wonderful excuses as to why he can’t sleep. One evening he informed me he was a droid and droids don’t sleep. Another night he came to my room after midnight to let me know that his bed had “boinked” him out of his room and he would not be able to sleep in it. Then, of all the wonderful luck, he turned up polka-dotted. We went to the doctor for vaccinations and he received his second chicken pox shot. The doctor told us that one in twenty kids gets a chicken pox like rash from the shot and it looks like we are one of the lucky ones. I’m not sure how much more luck I want.

As is tradition, I have tried to come up with a list of resolutions for the year. For some reason it has been very difficult this year. But I have resolved to blog at least once each week and read three books every week. I will be reviewing most of these books on this blog. Of course, as resolutions usually go, I am already behind. I have six books for January instead of twelve, but I will post reviews very soon.

I also hope to be a more productive writer. I want to train myself to write every day and submit more of what I write to publishers. Obviously I need to make these goals a little more concrete and measurable. I am working on it.

I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and exciting resolutions. If you have a minute, leave a comment and let us know what you have resolved to do this year.