Just Finished...

Stanley, Diane. The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy. New York: Harpers Collins, 2008.

Booklist recommends this book for grades 4-7.

Summary: Eighth-grader Franny and her friends investigate why most of the students at their exclusive boarding school are brilliant, beautiful, and perfectly behaved.

Mrs. Wilson Says: If someone offered you a chance to be a more perfect version of yourself, would you take it? You'd be even better looking, even smarter, you'd never get in trouble, and you'd always be happy. Sounds pretty great, right? Well, what if the same person who could make you perfect also began to make decisions for you...would you still take the deal? This is a fun read about friendship and "being the best we can be," and stars Franny and Beamer from The Mysterious Case of I.M. Fine.

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Want to read another book about a really smart kid? Try Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee.

Editorial Comment

I've just realized that there are very few books I dislike. I guess the closest I've come to giving a bad review (so far) is for Stolen. Even though I didn't think the book delivered with the "scary" plot, I recognize that parts of it are good and I believe that there are kids who will enjoy this book.

I always finish books--even books I dislike. Maybe I'm optimistic that something great will come out of the book and I'll miss it if I quit reading. And I suspect that deep down I feel sorry for books that I consider rejecting. (Where did I get the idea that books have feelings? Do I need psychotherapy?) I recently read a ridiculously long book that Stephen King said was solid gold...and hated every moment of it. But I stuck it out. It took For-Ev-Er.

So...all this is to say that I'm sorry if you don't like a book that I've reviewed as decent. I'm trying to gauge what a rather large population of students, parents, and staff will find "good." Just doing my best, man.

Just Finished...

Lin, Grace. The Year of the Rat. New York: Little Brown, 2008.

Booklist recommends this book for grades 3-5.

Summary: In the Chinese Year of the Rat, a young Taiwanese American girl faces many challenges: her best friend moves to California and a new boy comes to her school, she must find the courage to forge ahead with her dream of becoming a writer and illustrator, and she must learn to find the beauty in change.

Mrs. Wilson Says: I was excited to read this book because: A) I loved reading the first book in this series, The Year of the Dog--a Bluebonnet nominee last year. B) Grace Lin is coming to our school this March!!! I saw her speak at Frisco Reads in October and I know that she's going to knock everyone's socks off. Like the first book, this book is semi-autobiographical and shares what happens from one Chinese New Year to the next. Pacy is the main character (she's known at school by her American name, Grace) and she finds that The Year of the Rat--traditionally known to bring changes--has brought some unpleasant changes to her world. One of the reasons I love this book is because Lin writes honestly: Pacy really struggles with the changes and she doesn't always react in the best way. She has to work through her mistakes to come out on top.

Find The Year of the Rat at the Bledsoe Library.

Find many books by Grace Lin at the Bledsoe Library.

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Want to read another book where kids learn about themselves? Try Lost and Found by Andrew Clements.

Just Finished...

Vande Velde, Vivian. Stolen. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2008.

Booklist recommends this book for grades 5-8.

Summary: A girl finds herself running through the forest at the edge of a village with no memory of anything, even her own name, and later learns that she might be twelve-year-old Isabelle, believed to be stolen by a witch six years before.

Mrs. Wilson Says: The cover of this book looks scarier than what is actually inside of it. Don't get me wrong, the very beginning of the book and the end of the book are thrilling. But most of the book is taken up by Isabelle simply thinking about her true identity. So, if you want to read a quasi-scary witch tale badly enough to muddle through the middle, then go for it. Read this book.

Search for Stolen at the Bledsoe Library.

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Want to read more magical tales? Try The Anybodies by N.E. Bode and Septimus Heap by Angie Sage.

Just Finished...

Harper, Charise Mericle. Still Just Grace. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2007.

Booklist recommends this book for grades 2-4.

Summary: Seven-year-old Grace gets so involved in working with Grace W. and Grace F. on a school project that she fails to understand why she and her best friend, Mimi, are drifting apart.

Mrs. Wilson Says: This is the sequel to Just Grace and I liked it just as much as the original (and I crack myself up). Grace shares her signature drawings and funny lists. She still has her empathy superpower so she's always looking for ways to help, and in this book she just might be able to solve her name dilemma.

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Want to read more books about best friends? Try the Ivy + Bean books by Annie Barrows or the Allie Finkle books by Meg Cabot.