A Season of Gifts

My latest read was A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck.  This novel is a companion to A Long Way From Chicago and A Year Down Yonder.  Do you have to read the others to read this one?  No, but I do think it would help appreciate the story, characters, events, and how the stories are woven together.  The story is 164 pages, so it is a fairly quick read and moves at a fast pace.

While Chicago is narrated by Joey and Down Yonder is narrated by Mary Alice, this story is narrated by Bob Barnhart, the 12 year-old son of the family that has moved into the house next door to Grandma Dowdel.  Bob's dad is the new minister at the Methodist church in town, so the family has moved next door to the last house in town.  It is now 1958, and while many things have changed, Grandma Dowdel has not.  While Chicago took place during one week each summer over a span of 8 years and Down Yonder took place over one year with Grandma, A Season of Gifts spans only 6 months - the first 6 months the Barnhart family has moved into town - to tell the story of how they adjust to life in Grandma's small Illinois town.

I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who loved A Long Way From Chicago after reading it in class (and many of you did!).  This novel did not disappoint!  There were reappearances by some of your favorite characters - Mrs. Dowdel (of couse), Effie Wilcox, and several others.  There are even appearances by the children and grandchildren of some of your favorite characters from the other novels!  There are also reappearances of some of the things we know and love most about Grandma - her double-barrel shotgun, the cobhouse, and more.  And let's not forget Grandma Dowdel's schemes and lies!  Grandma is right back up to her old tricks to make sure people in the town are given the justice they deserve for their actions.  (She even has a few plans cooked up to prevent people from making bad decisions!)  This story has a little bit of everything - a bully and his gang picking on the "new kid," a ghost story, an initiation, blackmail, lies, a love story, and even Grandma's softer, compassionate side!

I would love to hear what you thought of the story if you end up reading the novel!
Happy reading!

 

The Search For Baby Ruby

My most recent novel was The Search For Baby Ruby by Susan Richards Shreve.  The book is 224 pages and I would consider it a suspense novel, maybe a mystery.

It is the evening before big sister Whee's wedding, the evening of the rehearsal dinner.  The O'Fines family is getting ready in their hotel room where the festivities will take place.  At the last minute, the babysitter cancels and the only option is the youngest of the O'Fines kids - 12 year old Jess.  While the family is incredibly dysfunctional, Jess is the responsible and caring one and would never say no.  Jess is heartbroken because she was so excited about attending the rehearsal dinner and has been looking forward to the wedding for months.  But Jess would never be selfish or say no if someone needed help.  So she is left up in the hotel room with baby Ruby, her niece, while the family goes downstairs for the celebration.  Jess plays with baby Ruby for a while and then leaves her on a hotel towel on the floor while she slips into the bathroom to secretly try on her sister's wedding dress while the family is gone.  When she comes out, baby Ruby is gone.  Jess searches the entire hotel room, but the baby is no where to be found.  As Jess tries to put the missing pieces together, she begins to think of things that were "out of place" or unusual that day - such as the man in the green shirt who just stood watching her in the hotel hallway as Jess waved to her family when they got on the elevator.  Jess is certain baby Ruby was stolen from the hotel room - kidnapped.  It is now Jess's responsibility to find out who took baby Ruby and get her back.

This is a great middle school read.  Throughout the novel the author has woven in stories of Jess's dysfunctional family and how it has affected Jess growing up.  They do not have the perfect, traditional family and this may be a great novel for others who could relate to that family dynamic.  The book is fast-paced and the events happen quickly, so this novel may appeal to a reader looking for action.

Happy reading! 

Adrift

The next read for summer was Adrift by Paul Griffin.  This is a realistic fiction / thriller that is 228 pages.  If you love adventurous novels, this might be the right pick for you!  (If you loved Hatchet by Gary Paulsen or The Raft by S.S. Boden, you may really like this one!)

No big spoiler here (because of the title), but the novel is about a boat caught stranded in the sea.  Matthew and his best friend, John, are working one summer afternoon when Matthew meets Driana.  He talks with Driana and her cousin, Stefania, and Stefania's boyfriend, Joao.  Matthew is immediately interested in Driana and when she invites him to a big party at her house the next evening, he can't say no.  Matthew and John go to Driana's house, where they meet several of her other friends.  When Stefania can't be found and the group goes looking for her, they find out she has gone out on the neighbor's windsurfer.  Matthew, John, Driana, and Joao immediately get in the neighbor's boat and set out to look for her.  They find her, but only shortly before the boat runs out of gas.  The five are left to drift along at the mercy of the Atlantic Ocean, relying on each other to make it home.  And to really get you hooked, I will tell you not all 5 will make it back... 

Boys, this one may be up your alley more than the girls, since the narrator is a guy.  There are also some parts that are graphic as the group deals with the real threats of the sea.  However, I also enjoyed the novel - with the exception of the ending.  This is not a "happily ever after" story, which is usually how I like for things to end up.  It is very fast-past and once it gets you hooked, you will want to keep reading to find out what happens next!

Happy reading!  Let me hear from you if you give it a try!

From You To Me

While at the beach last week, my first novel to finish for the summer was From You To Me by K.A. Holt.  This realistic fiction novel is about an eighth grade girl, Amelia, who is determined to have a better eighth grade year than her other two previous years of middle school.  This year is going to be better - she is going to be happier, more positive, and friendlier.  This will be a huge change from the past two years, where she has been sad, lonely, and depressed since the sudden, tragic loss of her sister, Clara.  However, things change on the first day of school in English class when the teacher hands back their 6th grade letters.  But the teacher accidentally gives Amelia the wrong letter - she gives her Clara's instead.  Clara's letter is a list of all the things she wanted to accomplish during her middle school years.  Amelia's best friend, Taylor, comes up with the idea to complete all the things on Clara's list as a way to help Amelia move on from her sister's death.  So the novel is the story of Amelia's mission through her eighth grade year to complete her sister's goals, all the while learning more about her sister than she ever knew and meeting new friends along the way.  Amelia finally realizes she will never "move on" from her sister's death, but she can move forward. 

I would highly recommend this book for the girls out there.  Guys, not that you won't enjoy this one, but it is a female narrator.  Girls, I will think you will enjoy this one.  It was a quick read (it's only 200 pages) and was fast-paced with several surprises and twists.  I also highly recommend this book for anyone who has lost a loved one or close friend.  Amelia's grief is deep and really shows how hard it is to live without someone you love and the stages of grief someone goes through.

Happy reading!  More recs to come!  I am already into another novel that is a more action/adventure read.  Can't wait to share with you soon! 

Are You Reading?

We stopped by our library this week to sign the Tanner kids (and my two nieces) up for the summer reading program.  It has only been 2 days, but we have recorded over 300 pages in our house!

I haven't had a chance to start "my" reading yet; we have been doing a lot of reading - particularly Magic Tree House and Pete the Cat.  I have a book picked out, though, so stay tuned!

A few quick facts about reading as we head into the summer: 

• A recent study by Renaissance, published in What Are Kids Reading says that a recent study of reading habits in K-12 students shows that just SIX extra minutes of reading a day can turn a struggling reader into one who meets or exceeds their grade level's reading benchmark.  

• The New York Times published an article stating that students lose one month of reading growth over the summer.  This loss is cumulative, meaning it builds every summer.  Reading over the summer can help prevent this loss to maintain the reading level attained by the end of the school year or - better yet - continue to make gains.  

• The U.S. Department of Education's blog shares that students who don't read at all or do not read on a consistent basis see their reading abilities decline.  This effect grows worse as students get older.  

What can you do?  Find a book and R-E-A-D!  Sure, find a book and do your summer reading project for 7th grade.  But keep reading!  Find a good book that you enjoy and read just for fun!

Stay tuned through the summer for book suggestions.  Feel free to leave a comment below of a book you are currently reading or one you have read recently you think others may enjoy.