Review: Slider ✭✭✭✭✭

Slider by Pete Hautman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story falls into the unusual subject category of competitive eating contests. David, the main character, is a fan of of Joey Chestnut and other big eaters. Home for the summer, David uses his Mom's credit card to order a famous half eaten hot dog. Unfortunately, his bid for $20 mistakenly turns into a bid for $2,000. David decides to enter a local pizza eating contest to earn the money back before the Visa bill arrives. Meanwhile, more is revealed about David's family, and how he fits in. David is a middle child stuck between an over-achieving college age sister with an annoying boyfriend, and a 10-year old brother, Mal, who has autism.

Many features make this story more than palatable (ha!) for middle-grade readers. The gross-out factor is huge with interesting facts about competitive eating. And David's relationship with Mal is very sweet, and at times, laugh out loud funny. This book will be devoured (ha, again!) by fans of Stuart Gibbs books. For maximum effect, read this book during June/July, then catch the famous Nathan's July 4 competitive eating contest on YouTube.



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A Season of Gifts ✮✮✮✮✮

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Grandma Dowdel is a familiar and unforgettable character to readers of A Year Down Yonder, and A Long Way from Chicago. This is the third book in the series, but can certainly be read on its own. When the new pastor and his family move in next door to Mrs. Dowdel, they are in for a season of adventure. The family quickly gets up to speed on what it's like to have a 90-year old gun-toting, bully avenging, yet surprisingly tender-hearted neighbor. 12-year old Bob, the pastor's son,  receives a not-so welcome to town when he is cruelly pranked. Fortunately, Grandma helps him out of an extremely embarrassing, yet funny situation. Meanwhile, Bob's teenage sister, when she is not swooning over Elvis, is sneaking around with the local rebel. Can Grandma help smooth out this situation as well? In her gruff and unassuming way, she ends up helping this sweet family in a variety of ways, and her gifts are greatly appreciated. This book is terrific to read at any time, but like the movie A Christmas Story, this is a story that could be revisited annually as a holiday tradition. Readers will love this funny, warm slice of life.

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A New Treehouse Adventure by Lisa Graff ✩✩✩✩

Kids will love The Great Treehouse War, a story of a parents vs. kids treehouse standoff. Winnie is a fifth grade student and an only child who is having a tough time finishing her school assignments due to distractions at home. Ultimately, Winnie's exacting parents decide to divorce and come up with an extremely precise visitation schedule. Part of the schedule includes one night in the treehouse between the parents' homes, and Winnie looks forward to "treehouse Wednesday" every week.

This book is filled with devices such as post-its, drawings and email letters by both the kids, parents and teachers in the story. Because of this format, it's a great book to recommend to both strong and reluctant middle-grade readers. Kids who zip through this story wanting more will love the clever and funny 43 Old Cemetary Road series and Regarding the Bathrooms series by Kate Klise.

Upside Down Magic ✩✩✩✩

What if you performed misfit magic and instead of turning into a kitten, you turn into a "dritten" -- a dragon/kitten mash up? From a trio of popular authors, this series starter is great for readers not quite ready to tackle Harry Potter. In the very cute premise, Nory is a girl who comes from a family of magicians, yet her magic always comes out "wonky." (That word always makes me think of Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson series!) Coincidentally and unfortunately, Nory's father is principal of the elite magic school that Nory would like to attend. When she doesn't pass the admittance test, Nory is sent to live with her aunt and go to a school that promotes "upside-down magic" for their more individual learners. Here is where Nory and her adorably misfit classmates learn that it's ok to be an individual. 

This book is a 2018 Connecticut Nutmeg nominated title for elementary readers. Third grade and up readers who enjoy humor, animals and fantasy will love this series starter. 

Cursed by Bruce Coville ✩✩✩✩✩

Cursed, the first book in The Enchanted Files series by Bruce Coville, is a very funny fantasy/realistic fiction hybrid. Angus is a 150-year old, one foot tall Scottish "Brownie" with a rip-roaring/crazy temper. You may see the book for sale with the original title Diary of a Mad Brownie.

Angus has been a pint-sized housekeeper to Sarah for years and she has peacefully just passed away, In keeping with the Oath of the Brownies, Angus is assigned to her next of kin, a girl named Alex. It's a big change from a lovely, elderly Scottish woman to a messy, disorganized 11-year old American girl.

The story is written through Angus' diary (with drawings!), as well as emails, letters and texts from Alex and other characters in the book. I challenge you to not laugh out loud when you learn how Angus' curse affects Alex's Dad and brother. I also was in hysterics over Brownie's relationship with the family cat. If your reader enjoys this book as much as I did, they will love the 43 Old Cemetery Road series by Kate Klise. And have them check out Bruce Coville's extensive website with games, F.A.Q.s, guestbook, links and more!

Lulus

Is there any way the author/illustrator combination of Judith Viorst (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day) and Lane Smith (The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales) could be anything but terrific?

In Lulu and the Brontosaurus, Lulu doesn't see why having a brontosaurus for the pet would be impractical. She WANTS A BRONTOSAURUS.  And Lulu always gets what she wants. When her parents won't give in to her birthday demand, hilarity ensues when Lulu sets out to find her brontosaurus.

In Lulu Walks the Dogs, Lulu has gotten a job walking her neighbors' dogs. It seems like easy money; just put Pookie, Brutus and Cordelia on a leash and go, right? Or will she have to get help from her neighborhood nemesis, Fleischman? Both the illustrations and design of these titles are visually pleasing. The books are an unusually tall, vertical shape with a monochromatic color palette that makes them stand out on the library shelf.

Both books invite the reader to participate in what happens in the story. After reading them, I Googled the term metafiction, and learned more about this type of writing style. In metafiction, books become self-referential, and typically readers interact with the story. Other writers refer to it as "breaking the fourth wall." Younger kids love metafiction read-alouds such as Press Here by Herve Tullet, or The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. Metafiction chapter books would include titles such as A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz, and This Book is Not Good For You by Pseudonymous Bosch.

Full of Beans by Jennifer Holm

This book makes me think of two great stories: The Little Rascals, and Bud Not Buddy. The historical fiction adventure takes place in Key West during the Great Depression. Beans Curry (what a great name!) and his gang of scrappy friends are trying to survive through a long, oppressive summer. Beans is tired of collecting cans for the local scoundrel, and he jumps on the chance to make a lot more money by helping a bigger shyster move his illegal Cuban liquor. Beans' job is to set off a local fire alarm to distract town officials while the booze is moved to the dock for distribution.

Your reader will begin to empathize with Bean as his conscience catches up with him when he starts to learn about the ramifications of his actions. Can Beans make restitution by offering to help the New Dealers beautify Key West?

There are so many interesting topics that can be discussed after reading this book including: Key West during the Depression; Roosevelt's New Deal; Cuba; Shirley Temple; Robert Frost; and even marbles. This book would be a great selection for a middle grade school book club.

I just learned that this book is a prequel to Jennifer Holm's Newbery honor book Turtle in Paradise. I can't wait to read that one as well. Fans of Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis will love this book. Your middle grade reader who enjoys humor or historical fiction will appreciate this tale. Don't be surprised if you start hearing some of the popular sayings that are used by the characters in this story such as "don't go having a kitten!" Jennifer Holm also includes an author’s note section at the end of the book that includes photographs, list of 1930s child actors, popular sayings of the time, gang rules, and related websites.

Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon

This is one of those books that I thought I should read because it was new in our library and looked like a good book for fourth grade readers. Honestly, I had the preconceived notion that it wasn't going to be for me. It's kind of like when I went see Frozen begrudgingly. Both that movie and this book had me very pleasantly surprised. This is a charming and clever story about a deteriorating castle whose misfit minions are in need of a master, and a 12-year old girl who really needs a special place to grow into a full-fledged witch.

When little Molly shows up at the castle's massive front door, the guardian, who Molly names Majordomo, is very skeptical. For Molly to be declared master of the castle, she first needs to complete a list of tasks provided by the Board of Magic. Molly proves her skills by successfully smiting and blighting and she begins to earn the quirky castle residents' trust. Will the arrival of an evil sorceress with chiseled cheekbones ruin Molly and the minions' plans to save the castle?

This book is more of a tender-hearted romp than a scary story. It is filled with charming characters and clever wordplay. If your middle-grade reader has read Ursula Vernon's Dragonbreath or Princess Hamster series, I am certain they will love this book. And, as in those books, Ms. Vernon does all her own illustrations. This book would also be for fans of the Tuesdays at the Castle series by Jessica Day George.

Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts ✩✩✩✩

This quirky story is about four loosely related children who live in a car on a beautiful tropical island. You will learn as you read about the Fitzgerald-Trout kids that they have learned early in life to take care of themselves as their oddball parents and caregivers are pretty much a bunch of good-for-nothings.

Kim is in sixth grade and is the leader of the bunch, and she is the one that has learned how to drive. She also makes sure that the children attend school. But Kim is worried that her family is outgrowing the car, and she decides that they need to find a house for them to live in. First, the children attempt to live at one of the children's mother's home when she is arrested and put in jail. This does not work out so well, and Kim decides to try out a new plan.

The text is printed in blue in an appealing font (one of the children has a thing for fonts), and there are whimsical illustrations by Sydney Smith that add to the endearing nature of this book. Esta Spalding's middle grade debut is a unique, funny story that celebrates the resilience, cheerfulness and inventiveness of children. If your reader liked Lois Lowry's humorous The Willougbys, they will enjoy the light humor of this book.

A Doggone Entertaining Book

In Elvis and the Underdogs, Benji is a tiny, sickly 10-year old boy who is tired of his frequent visits to the hospital. But wait...Elvis is in the building! He's an extremely large and clever Newfoundland who is sent to be a companion to Benji. And to make things even more interesting, Elvis can speak to Benji. Unfortunately, there was a delivery mix-up and Elvis was supposed to be sent to the White House. You or your reader won't be able to stop reading this fun story. The chapter about the hospital morgue is laugh-out-loud funny.  Jenny Lee, who has written for Disney Channel and TBS sitcoms, has created a cast of characters who will truly give you the warm fuzzies, and have you itching to read the next two books in the series.

An Irresistible Southern Mystery ✩✩✩✩

Here in Connecticut, ten middle-grade books are nominated every year to compete for the Nutmeg Award. This year, the list includes The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing by Sheila Turnage. I was pretty certain that The One and Only Ivan (also on the list) would have the win all wrapped up. However, this charming adventure really took me by surprise! Mo LeBeau, "one half of the probably world-famous detective agency the Desperado Detectives", and her sidekick Dale, are back in this sequel to Three Times Lucky. Mo is plucky and clever, and her way of looking at the world is laugh-out-loud funny! For example, in Chapter 30, "The Horror Unfolds", Mo is desperately trying to avoid giving her oral report on Fishbowl Friday, so she exclaims: "Excuse me, Miss Retzyl, but the entire town's trembling from financial stress. Oral reports could tip us over the edge, which could mean not only personal heartbreak, but a class action lawsuit. I'd hate to see you embroiled." The entire book is just as witty...I had to read passages to my husband as he wondered what I was laughing about. This is a terrific book you could recommend to any fifth grader who loves a good tale.

For Fans of Supervillians ✩✩✩✩

Mwhahahahahaha. The best arch-villains have really good laughs. All three of these middle grade series offer strong characters and enough action to please even the biggest superhero fan. Archvillain, by Barry Lyga, has a know-it-all main character by the name of Kyle Camden, a boy who happens to be in the middle of a plasma storm when his arch-nemesis, Mighty Mike arrives. Is Mike a hero or villain? And does Kyle have any redeeming qualities? You may not find the answers in the first book of the series.

The Joshua Dread series, by Lee Bacon, gets off to a rollicking start with this opener: "Our class got out of sixth period early the day my parents tried to flood the earth." As you can guess, Joshua has a slight problem: his parents are the Dread Duo intent on destroying the word. In addition, Joshua has just learned that he needs to learn how to control his power of spontaneous combustion. When you get introduced to the shallow Captain Justice character, you may find yourself rooting for Dread domination! Lee Bacon's web site is worth exploring, especially for his "superherosupervillain-quiz".

In The Dark Lord, by Jamie Thomson, a clever action story unfolds as a Dark Lord, trapped in the body of a human boy, mysteriously lands in a parking lot. When he is discovered by law enforcement, the Dark Lord tries to explain who he is, but is dismissed as a boy who is very confused, perhaps because of a concussion or amnesia. "Dirk" is then sent off to live with a foster family. He then needs to figure out a way to make it home to his planet.

Of the three books, Joshua Dread may develop the largest fan base (there are already two sequels available). However, any fan of superhero titles will have no problem devouring all three books!

Jan. 2017 update: I just visited Jamie Thomson's website and learned that there are now three Dark Lord books!

Don't Be "Left Behind" From This Great New Series ✩✩✩✩✩

This promising new historical fiction series offers such titles as "The iPhone that Saved George Washington", and "Abe Lincoln and the Selfie that Saved the Union." With their technology-based time travel theme, these books by David Potter may not withstand the test of time, but who cares? Kids will love following Mel, Brandon and Bev as they time travel back in history to make sure our history remains unchanged. The author got the idea for the first book when he took his own kids to a reenactment of Washington crossing the Delaware. This is a fun series that will really resonate with middle grade readers!

Summer Vacation is Time for Audiobooks!

What better way to kick off summer reading, than with an audiobook about avoiding summer reading? It helps if you have a fun destination planned for your car ride. Kids will laugh out loud listening to Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Summer Vacation by Tommy Greenwald. I am only sorry we didn't start with the first book in the series, Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading. We will have to get back to that one! The narrator, MacLeod Andrews is terrific, he really has the voice down of a witty, adolescent, read-o-phobe. And he does a great job with all of the distinct characters. I looked him up (Googled!), thinking the books he has narrated would only be in the humor category, but was intrigued to discover that he was narrated the Closed for the Season audiobook, as well as I Am Number Four. They are also going to the top of the "want to listen" list!

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling

Have you ever heard the expression "That child behaves like he was raised by a pack of wolves!"? The Mysterious Howling, by Maryrose Wood, takes the phrase quite literally in this story about a nanny trying to get three young incorrigible children to adapt to life in a well-to-do English family after being raised in the woods. Do the parents have a devious motive for finally allowing the wild bunch inside? Tension mixes with laugh-out-loud moments in what promises to be the start of a great series.

Nutty for Squirrels

Squirrel lovers, rejoice! If you are nutty for Scaredy Squirrel, and chuckled over the fate of the poor squirrel in Flora and Ulysses, you have a new book to relish. Nuts to You (not to be confused with Lois Ehlert picture book) by Newbery award winning Lynne Rae Perkins is a warm, funny novel that follows the adventures of three squirrel buddies. One review of the book I read called it an "incredible journey" of squirrels. Ms. Perkins also illustrated the book, and there are illustrations on every page of the quirky characters. Wait until you find out what squirrels really think. This book will satisfy both young and old readers of adventure, animals and humor.