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.

Find The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy at the Bledsoe Library.

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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.

Don't Call Him Abe.

Abraham Lincoln has long been a personal hero of mine. He served the country during arguably the most difficult period in American history. He was clever, compassionate, and honest. Over the last several weeks, I've read nearly all of our library's 30 books on President Lincoln to learn more about him. Here are my top 4 favorites, plus an honorable mention.

#1

St. George, Judith. Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln. New York: Philomel, 2008.

Booklist recommends this book for grades 2-4.

Judith St. George is known for her series of books that includes So You Want to be a President?, and I'm really enjoying this series of hers called Turning Point Books. It's about the moment or event that leads a young person down an extraordinary path. For a young Abraham Lincoln, Judith St. George believes that it was his stepmother, Sally, that encouraged his education and independent way of thinking. This story begins with Lincoln's birth and the love he received from his biological mother Nancy and continues until Lincoln left home to pursue his destiny as a young man. Illustrations by Matt Faulkner are down in gouache and help the book seem woodsy and cozy.

#2

Bowler, Sarah. Abraham Lincoln: Our Sixteenth President. Chanhassen, MN: The Child's World, 2002.

Booklist recommends this book for grades 3-6.

This book was almost my number one pick. It has the most information of any book I picked, and the nonfiction reads easily. The best parts are the photographs and the interesting facts set into the margins. For example, did you know that President Lincoln did not liked to be called Abe? His close friends knew that and never called him by that nickname. This book also explains how much the Lincoln family grieved during the Civil War, both over the state of the nation and from personal tragedy.

#3

Harness, Cheryl. Young Abe Lincoln: The Frontier Days, 1809-1837. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 1996.

Booklist recommends this book for grades 1-4.

If you'd like to read stories about President Lincoln's childhood, this is a great book to read first. It also has neat pages of maps and facts, perhaps those are part of the book because National Geographic published it. This book begins with Lincoln's birth and ends with his move to Springfield, Illinois with a license to practice law.

#4

Turner, Ann. Abe Lincoln Remembers. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.

Booklist recommends this book for grades 1-3.

This is a unique biography. In the words of the author, it is "intended to explore how Lincoln might have thought and felt about the events that shaped him into one of our greatest presidents." Written in poetic narrative, Lincoln speaks about his life in first person, with the last verse ending as Lincoln prepares to visit the theater on April 14, 1865.

Honorable Mention:

David Adler's biography picture books are always good and A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln is no exception. Booklist recommends this book for grades K-3.

Find these books and more about Abraham Lincoln in the Bledsoe library.

Just Finished...

Rowling, J. K. The Tales of Beedle the Bard. New York: Levine, 2008.

Booklist recommends this book for grades 3-6.

Summary: The tale of the three brothers, this book contains five illustrated moral tales for children from the world of Harry Potter, reportedly discovered and translated by young witch Hermione Granger, with an introduction and commentary from Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Mrs. Wilson Says: If you miss Harry Potter, read this book! Sometimes you might find that Dumbledore's parts a bit difficult, but mostly you'll love the stories and the extra bits of information that you'll learn about their wizarding world. Also, J.K. Rowling did all of the illustrations inside of the book herself (HP's usual illustrator is Mary GrandPre and she did the cover art).

This book is coming to the Bledsoe Library, but it hasn't arrived as of December 30th. Let Mrs. Wilson know if you want to be on hold for it when it arrives.

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Like fantasy books? Try the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer or the Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo.