Beezus and Ramona

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

AR Reading Level: 4.8
On the library stacks: Children's Fiction
Series: Book 1 of 8 (Ramona)
Recommended for: Grades 2+

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My mom has been in town for a few weeks. She taught second grade for years and she has the best read-aloud voice ever. As an incentive, I told my kids that whoever listened to Nana read Beezus and Ramona would get to go to the movie at the end of the week. My 6, 8, and 9-year old kids all took up the challenge and we had a blast, both listening and watching.

This initial installment in the Ramona series features 9-year old Beezus and 4-year old Ramona. Ramona is into everything--riding her tricycle in the living room, taking over Beezus' art class, destroying library books, eating one bite out of every apple from an entire box, inviting her friends over for a party without telling anyone, and ruining Beezus' birthday. I actually really felt for Beezus! (and for my 9-year old since we have our own little 4-year old "Ramona").

I laughed and cried both reading the book and watching the movie. I didn't realize that the movie is actually based on ALL the Ramona books, not just this one. But it captures the spirit and essence of the books perfectly. This was a fun summer activity for our family, and I definitely recommend both the movie and the book.

Also reviewed by: The Book Bluff ~ Becky's Book Reviews ~ Your link here?

Book 68 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge

Source: Purchased

The City of Ember

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

AR Reading Level: 5.0
On the library stacks: Children's/YA Fiction
Awards: Book Sense Book of the Year Award/Honorees; ALA Notable/Best Books
Series: Book 1 of 4 (Ember)
Recommended for: Grades 3+

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The city of Ember is always dark. When it is time to wake up, the electrical lights that power the city turn on and everyone heads to school or work.

At the age of 12, the students are each randomly assigned a job. Lina and Doon swap their assignments so that Lina becomes a messenger, running messages through the city, and Doon works down in the Pipeworks. Lina and Doon both realize that the mayor is up to no good. There are frequent blackouts in the city and low food and light bulb supply rations seem to indicate impending disaster.

I thought this book had good ambiance, appropriate for the dark city of Ember. I enjoyed the story of Lina and Doon and their quest to save their dying city. It's good post-apocalyptic dystopian fiction appropriate for the younger grades, but I think older kids who enjoy the genre will like it too. As an adult reader, I read a spiritual awakening metaphor in the plot that I enjoyed mulling over.

Now that I've finally gotten around to reading it, I will let myself watch the movie...Well, maybe I'll wait until after my kids have read it first so we can all watch together.

Also reviewed by: Emily's Reading Room ~ Tiny Little Reading Room ~ At Home With Books ~ book:thirty ~ Bending Bookshelf ~ The Bluestocking Society ~ Teen Lit Review ~ The Book Group Broads ~ It's All About Books ~ Ticket to Anywhere ~ Becky's Book Reviews ~ Your link here?

Book 67 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge, Book 42 of 50 for the New Author Challenge, Book 32 of 50 for the YA Reading Challenge, Book 28 of 50 for the RYOB Challenge, Book 48 of 55 for the Countdown Challenge (2003)

Source: Purchased

The Language of Trees - TLC Book Tour

The Language of Trees by Ilie Ruby

Publication date: July 20, 2010
Publisher: Avon A
ISBN: 9780061898648
Price: $14.99
Pages: 368
Ilie Ruby's website here

As warm weather approaches the small town of Canandaigua Lake, Grant Shongo returns to his family's summer home to recuperate after his failed marriage. His high school love, Echo, also returns as her father appears to be dying and Echo and Grant reunite in the awkwardness of their shared past.

The town is haunted by the tragedy of the drowning of little Luke Ellis years earlier. And when Luke's older sister Melanie goes missing, some think she's had another drug relapse. But those closest to Melanie think something darker may be at play, and Grant becomes involved in her rescue.

This is a novel about love, pain, choices, consequences, guilt, recovery, and ultimately letting go. This story has a unique setting infused with Seneca tradition and a cast of characters that I really cared about. I also liked the use of magical realism. I felt like there was some uneven pacing in the plot and I had a rough time with the use of present tense. There were a lot of flashbacks and I was sometimes unsure of what was past and what was present. But the words were beautiful and I felt transported to the town as I read.

This is Ilie Ruby's first novel and I think she has a promising career ahead of her. She writes her characters with depth and their relationships with real emotion, which made this an ultimately satisfying novel to read.



Other tour stops:

Tuesday, July 20th: I’m Booking It
Wednesday, July 21st: Café of Dreams
Wednesday, July 28th: Fizzy Thoughts
Thursday, July 29th: Alison’s Book Marks
Monday, August 2nd: Chaotic Compendiums
Wednesday, August 4th: Take Me Away
Thursday, August 5th: Booksie’s Blog
Monday, August 9th: Jenny Loves to Read
Tuesday, August 10th: Chefdruck Musings
Thursday, August 12th: Books Like Breathing

Book 66 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge, Book 41 of 50 for the New Author Challenge, Book 5 of 6 for the What's in a Name? 3 Challenge

Source: I received this book from the publisher as part of a TLC Book Tour.

Linger

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

AR Reading Level: 5.4
On the library stacks: YA Fiction
Series: Book 2 of 3 (Wolves of Mercy Falls)
Recommended for: Grades 9+

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Because I'm too afraid of accidentally including spoilers, here's the product description:

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabel, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

This is a great second book to the series. It is well-written and entertaining. I enjoyed the four different voices of Grace, Sam, Cole and Isabel, and the story took a direction I wasn't anticipating. I wasn't 100% sold on the green font the book was published in though. I look forward to the finale next year!

Also reviewed by: Not enough bookshelves ~ Beth Fish Reads ~ My Friend Amy ~ Your link here?

Book 65 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 31 of 50 for the YA Reading Challenge

Source: Borrowed

Hoot

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

AR Reading Level: 5.2
On the library stacks: YA/Children's Fiction
Awards: ALA Notable/Best Books; Young Reader's Choice Award/Nominee; Agatha Award; Newbery Honor; IRA's Teachers' Choice Award; Parent's Guide Book Award/ Honor Book; Smithsonian's Notable Book
Recommended for: Grade 6+

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I bought this book ages ago at a used bookstore. I even started it once before, but for some reason I was in the right mood this time. I thought this was a really fun book!

Roy is a newbie Florida kid who gets beat up on the bus, follows a running boy who has no shoes, and ends up fighting the construction of a pancake house where protected owls have their burrows. There is an excellent cast of supporting characters including:

• Curly, the pancake house foreman
  
• Dana, the dim-witted bully
• Beatrice, the soccer chick
• Chuck Muckle, a VP at Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House
• Officer Delinko, the police officer in charge of investigating strange acts of vandalism at the pancake house site.

I also loved Roy's parents and was very pleased at what a positive influence they had in this book. There is a little bit of junior high potty humor present, but I think kids of that age will love this book. I need to see the movie now!

Also reviewed by: So Many Books, So Little Time ~ Your link here?

Book 64 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge, Book 27 of 50 for the RYOB Challenge, Book 30 of 50 for the YA Reading Challenge, Book 47 of 55 for the Countdown Challenge (2002), Book 40 of 50 for the New Author Challenge

Source: Purchased

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt

AR Reading Level: 5.9
On the library stacks: Young adult fiction
Awards: ALA Best Book for Young Adults; Michael Printz Honor Book; ALA Notable/Best Books; SLJ Best Book; Newbery Honor
Recommended for: Grades 7+

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gary Schmidt is my favorite newly discovered author this year. While this book is very different from The Wednesday Wars, it was equally moving in its own way. Based on true events, this is beautifully written novel told with depth and poignancy.

13-year old Turner Buckminster is a minister's son, trying to find his place in Phippsburg, Maine in 1911. Having just recently moved from Boston, Turner has a tough time integrating into the small town dynamics where all eyes are on him watching his every move. But soon he meets Lizzie Bright who lives nearby on Malaga Island, a small settlement of African Americans. Their friendship has serious consequences for Turner, his family, and the entire town.

I really loved this book. It's touching, haunting and full of emotion and heart. It's a coming-of-age story in the way Turner learns to view the world, to question, and to understand the complex nature of the human experience. Everything about this book just seemed so real and genuine. I laughed and I teared up. Highly recommended.

Also reviewed by: Gerbera Daisy Diaries ~ Book Clutter ~ Beth Fish Reads ~ Bermudaonion's Weblog ~ Good Clean Reads ~ Your link here?

Book 63 for 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge, Book 26 of 50 for the RYOB Challenge, Book 29 of 50 for the YA Reading Challenge, Book 46 of 55 for the Countdown Challenge (2004)

Source: BookMooch

The 13th Hour

The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch

On the library stacks: Adult fiction

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The unthinkable has happened to Nick Quinn. His wife Julia has just been murdered in their own home, and the police are convinced that he has committed the crime. But when he is offered a chance to go back in time twelve hours, one hour at a time, he is determined to make sure that when the thirteenth hour arrives, his wife will be alive and well. What Nick can't foresee, is the complicated mess that unfolds as he not only solves the crime, but how he alters the course of history as the hours run backward.

The thriller element gets 4 stars for me. I carried the burden of Nick around with me until I finished the book and I loved the time travel. But I had some issues:
1. The writing/editing: parts of the story were super repetitive, the use of ... to build suspense, the misspellings and punctuation problems.
2. The one-dimensional characters. Nick and Julia are pretty much perfect--the perfect house, the perfect marriage, perfect jobs, and trust me, Nick has the perfect answers for everything.
3. The over-the-top sickly sweet Hollywood ending. Don't get me wrong, I like a happy ending. And I think that this one should have had one too, just not THAT happy.

I really did enjoy this book when I was reading it. I think the idea behind it is clever and unique and I would say fans of time travel should give this book a try.

Also reviewed by: Book Journey ~ Your link here?

Book 62 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge, Book 20 of 25 for the Support Your Local Library Challenge, Book 39 of 50 for the New Author Challenge

Source: Library

She Walks in Beauty

She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

On the library stacks: Adult fiction
Recommended for: Grades 9+

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clara Carter is a studious girl who would much rather have her nose in her precious book of Byron poems than worry about which New York City socialite she should marry. But her aunt and father abruptly decide that she is to debut a year earlier than planned when the De Vries heir returns home from his Continental tour a year early. They tell Clara that she must capture the heart of the heir and marry him to restore her family's honor, but Clara wants to marry for love.

This is an engaging historical fiction novel set in the Gilded Age of the 1890s. For the city elite, that means life revolves around dinner parties, corsets, balls, fashion, and carriage rides. But for others, it means horrific factory working conditions, poverty, and tenement living. Clara has been sheltered her whole life from such unpleasantness, but as she uncovers the truth of her family's role in the social strata, she rightly questions the social, political, and economic powers in play.

One thing that I really liked about this book is that Clara doesn't turn into some kind of superhero that would be inconsistent with the time and place. She does recognize the limitations placed on her because of her sex and class, but she does work within them as she can. The whole Christian element of the book (it is published by Bethany House) was kind of a distraction in my opinion. The religious thread just didn't seem to work it's way evenly through the book, so when it did, infrequently, come up it felt a little awkward to me. Although the book was somewhat predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed Clara's journey--especially the romance and historical elements. Recommended.

Also reviewed by: 2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews ~ My Friend Amy ~ Becky's Book Reviews ~ Your link here?

Book 61 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge, Book 19 of 25 for the Support Your Local Library Challenge, Book 38 of 50 for the New Author Challenge

Source: Library

Only the Good Spy Young

Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter

On the library stacks: YA Fiction
Series: Book 4 of 6 (Gallagher Girls)
Recommended for: Grades 6+

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Warning: There may be spoilers in this review if you haven't read the earlier books in this series.

It's winter break and Cammie Morgan is with her best friend Bex in London. After an earlier kidnapping attempt by the Circle of Cavan, Cammie is being closely monitored. All of a sudden, the lights go out and Cammie is grabbed. But she recognizes the voice: It's her teacher, Joe Solomon. And for once, he's not in control. He's scared.

This is probably my favorite book in this series so far. There were lots of twists and turns and many questions were answered, but some new ones came up too. The action was pretty intense and we also get to see quite a bit of a certain boy from previous books. I couldn't imagine a better book for the middle of this series.

Also reviewed by: Sarah's random musings ~ Your link here?

Book 60 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge, Book 18 of 25 for the Support Your Local Library Challenge, Book 28 of 50 for the YA Reading Challenge

Source: Library

Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

AR Reading Level: 5.4
On the library stacks: YA Fiction
Recommended for: Grades 6+
Awards: Boston Globe/Horn Book Award/Honors; Phoenix Award/Honor
Series: Book 1 of 3 (Castle)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three girls in a land where being the eldest means inevitable failure. After her father dies, her sisters are apprenticed to a witch and a baker and she stays behind with her step-mother to run the hat shop. But when the Witch of the Waste comes to pay her a visit one day, turning her into an old woman, Sophie ends up at supposedly-evil Wizard Howl's Castle where she poses as a cleaning woman, hoping that the fire demon named Calcifer can break the spell she is under.

I thought this book is a clever fantasy with a little humor thrown in for good measure. It's a cute, fun book that I read with a smile on my face. It's also very fast-paced and would make a good read-aloud. This is the first book I've read by this author and it won't be my last.

Also reviewed by: Confessions of a Book Habitue ~ Becky's Book Reviews ~ Bending Bookshelf ~ Puss Reboots ~ Your link here?

Book 59 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge, Book 37 of 50 for the New Author Challenge, Book 17 of 25 for the Support Your Local Library Challenge, Book 27 of 50 for the YA Reading Challenge, Book 4 of 6 for the What's in a Name? 3 Challenge

Source: Library