Author Archives: SSBRC Former Member

Let’s Explore Cuba

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This informational book on Cuba will be sufficient for those students in primary grades and for those who are struggling with reading. Cuba’s location is presented on a map in relation to Florida, along with its warm climate and rainy summers. The large full page photos show Cuba’s lush vegetation on hills and plains for farming coffee and fruit. The hills and plains are in contrast to the resort beaches and colorfully painted houses in their cities.  Cuba’s favorite sport of baseball is shown with children playing it on a city street. Let’s not forget Cuba’s food with a delicious life-sized plate of fried plantains, rice and beans, meat tops with onion rings and wedges of fresh lime.

All of this information is presented in nine pages of text with an average of three sentences per page opposite the photo pages. Plus, there is a free download with more information at www.lerneresoucre.com.

Attack of the Zombie Rabbids

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Silliness at its best abounds in this Nickelodeon-TV show book based on a screenplay by Melanie Duval.

When I showed two of my  classes the dust cover to this book, I found numerous hands coming in my direction reaching for it, thinking it was the actual book. Instead of “Attack of the Zombie Rabbids”, I had attack of the second and third graders.

In this story, the rabbids at the mall find a box of doughnuts green with powdery mold. Not knowing any better, one of the rabbids eats a doughnut, or as they call it a “green delicious-looking round thing”. (20) The rabbid turns into a zombie.

On and on the rabbid(s) with the box of doughnuts try to keep it away from the other rabbids. One by one a rabbid eats a doughnut turning into a zombie until at last, the last doughnut in the box is eaten by the last rabbid.

Greedy little rabbids who will not share run screaming away from rabbids who have eaten a “green delicious-looking round thing” are laughable humor.

Surviving Middle School: Navigating the Halls, Riding the Social Roller Coaster, and Unmasking the Real You

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Luke Reynolds approaches readers with advice for surviving middle school. As a middle school teacher and a former middle school student himself, Reynolds knows his way around a middle school and the behaviors and attitudes that are prevalent in most of these institutions. He draws on his personal adolescent experiences as well as those from his time as a teacher, to outline middle school survival strategies.  He intersperses quotations from famous people and regularly references space gnomes who try to steal your garlic bread to capture and hold the reader’s attention. This book is an additional purchase which will help round out this section of a library’s offerings.

When Friendship Followed Me Home

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When Friendship Followed Me Home is a story about friendship and growing up. Ben Coffin spent many years in the foster care system. Finally finding a home to call his own, his life progresses steadily. He mostly keeps to himself and enjoys spending time at the local library. Books are his friends; the library his domain. The librarian knows his reading preferences and suggests books to check out. One day, a small dog follows Ben into the library and then home. On that same day, Ben meets the most amazing girl he has ever met, Halley – like the comet. A friendship blooms and a creative partnership is born. Together Ben and Halley embark on a journey to write a story. Then, when life is progressing smoothly, Ben’s adoptive mother dies, Ben and his four-legged friend, Flip, find themselves living with his aunt and her husband. Unfortunately, this is not an ideal situation as Leo doesn’t have the temperament to be a father. Halley’s family ends up opening their home and hearts to Ben and Flip.The relationship that develops between Ben and Halley’s family is heartwarming. Halley is sick, and the Lorentz’ are struggling with Halley’s physical decline. Ben learns that unlike writing a story, you cannot write a new ending to life. You can, however, choose your path and the people you call family.  This was a touching story that is a great choice for realistic fiction lovers.

Lost in the Pacific, 1942

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Lost in the Pacific, 1942 retells a story of survival at sea during the second World War. The year was 1942, and the US was in heated battle with Japan for control of the Pacific ocean. This nonfiction survival and suspense story retells the events that led to the crash landing of a B-17 bomber into the Pacific ocean and the attempted survival and rescue of the crew and VIP passengers. This page turner provides facts about the aircraft, the crew, and the events both before and after the crash. The book is put together in a manner that makes it easy to follow and understand. Features include: table of contents, cast of characters – complete with photos of crew and passengers, maps and photos for historical context, glossary, author’s note and sources.

Willows vs. Wolverines

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Izzy and Mackenzie have been best friends since they were little kids, and they have spent every summer together at camp. This summer the two girls go to a new camp where they have to make all new friends. On top of that, they are each assigned to different cabins. Izzy wants to fit in and be popular. She worries about Mackenzie but is more worried about being noticed by her new friends.  Izzy soon learns that her cabin is in a time honored prank war with the Wolverine cabin. Izzy has a history of being a prank master, but none of her new cabin-mates are interested in her ideas. Then Izzy tells a small lie to gain the trust and respect of the rest of her cabin.This lie does the job, but it grows day by day and becomes a black cloud that, predictably, comes between both her new friendships and the long standing friendship with Mackenzie. Izzy learns an important lesson about trust and friendship. The plot is simple, characters are reflective of the age group represented, and the resolution is predictable. Readers who compare the cover image to the story will be disappointed – while the scene comes from the story, the accuracy of details is a miss.  

10 Fascinating Facts About Chewing Gum

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This Rookie Star Fact Finder book will draw young readers into reading non fiction. The front cover immediately captures your attention using a pink bubble gum-colored background with a wide-eyed boy’s lower face hidden behind a big pink bubble of gum.

The Table of Contents states an abbreviated list of the 10 facts as section titles. The ten facts include gums’: origin, quantity of flavors, health aspects, energy, and gum used in art.

The health aspect has to do with an increase in the amount of saliva created when chewing gum and its calming effect on people. According to this book do not believe the old wives tale about swallowed gum staying in your stomach.

The side bar in each section is quite entertaining/ informative, as well, such as the Guinness World Record for most people chewing gum at one time, on page 15.

There is an activity on pages 26-27 that could be used for a school science fair project. This is followed by a timeline, a glossary, index, and a Scholastic web site with more information on chewing gum.

Shabbat Hiccups

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This is a gentle story about a Jewish family’s weekly Sabbath ritual. The flavor of the ritual comes alive in the artwork of Ilana Exelby and in the few distinctly Jewish words used. This book will fit into your diversity collection.

As Jonah’s family prepares for Shabbat on Friday evening, Jonah suddenly comes down with a case of hiccups that will not go away. Jonah’s sister, Eden, tries to scare the hiccups away. Grandma Sue tries to rid Jonah of the hiccups by first using a spoonful of sugar. When that does not work, she has Jonah try drinking water. Nothing works. On Saturday evening, the family goes for a walk to see the first stars of the night, but the hiccups continue. The family returns home for the closing Havdalah, when finally Jonah’s hiccups stop. Then, the quiet is broken not by Jonah’s hiccups, but by Grandma Sue’s.

Wolf Hollow

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In this historical fiction, we meet two young girls who are as different as night and day living in rural Pennsylvania in 1943. Annabelle is a sweet, responsible, compassionate twelve year old who lives with her parents, grand parents, aunt, and siblings on the family farm. Betty Glengarry, an older girl, moves to town to live with her grandparents. Annabelle and Betty have many run-ins and each run-in escalates with Betty revealing herself to be more and more of a bully.  Annabelle typically would turn to her family for help, but since she is getting older, she attempts to handle the situation on her own. One day, Betty plays a nasty trick on Annabelle and her brothers and Toby, a WWI veteran, intervenes. Toby lives alone and is a wanderer. He isn’t from Wolf Hollow and few people know much about him. Living a life of solitude, he soon finds himself on the cruel end of Betty’s antics. Annabelle must find the courage to stand up for what she believes and speak the truth about Betty’s actions. Life lessons are not always sweet and charming, as Annabelle learns, some lessons are heartfelt and bitter.Highly recommended.

The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life

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Kwame makes a slam dunk with this Playbook. Fans of The Crossover and Booked will be lined up to read The Playbook. While this is not a work of fiction, there are many stories about Kwame’s life and the lives of other athletes told throughout the book. Every detail of the book is well thought out. The physical appearance of the book will engage readers – they will appreciate the textured pages, imagery and photos, and the color used throughout. Sports enthusiasts will appreciate the layout of the book as it is set up like a sports game complete with quarters, half time, and overtime. Kwame is engaging and authentic. Kids will know that the 52 rules presented throughout the book come from Kwame’s heart. A must purchase for middle school libraries.

Fish Girl

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The story takes place on the oceanfront, in a tourist attraction called Ocean Wonders. Visitors pay to see wonders from the ocean including a possible glimpse of “Fish Girl”. Neptune, God of the seas, manages the boardwalk aquarium. Fish Girl does not know that Neptune is a businessman nor that Ocean Wonders is a business. To her, it is her home. Fish Girl starts to question many things about her existence, life in the aquarium, and Neptune’s rules. She wants to be free – free to come and go, free to experience life beyond the glass walls of the aquarium, and free to be seen. She learns the truth about the man who calls himself Neptune and how all of the sea creatures came to be in their glass prison. She wants something different for herself and her underwater family. To get what she wants, she must defy Neptune. In her journey, Fish Girl learns to question. Answers to her questions lead to change – she will no longer be a prisoner in Neptune’s glass kingdom and nor will her underwater friends and family.  

Charlotte the Scientist is Squished

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This book is a fun way of introducing elementary students to the scientific method. Plus, it teaches – if at first you do not succeed, try, try, again.

“Charlotte solved problems by conducting experiments that followed the scientific method.” Charlotte found herself squished with too many little bunnies [genius on the part of illustrator Brianne Farley] around for her to be able to find room, time, and equipment to work on experiments at home. Charlotte used the scientific method to help her solve her problem. First- she asked a question, second- she formed a hypothesis, third- she tested her hypothesis with an experiment or two, fourth- she made and recorded her observations, and fifth- she drew her conclusions. Charlotte’s question has her screaming, ” ‘ How can I get some space around here?’ ‘ Charlotte’s hypothesis has her writing down,” ‘ If I can get rid of my brothers and sisters, I will have room to be a real scientist.’ ” Charlotte’s experiment does not work, so she tries to make herself disappear. That does not work either. Then Charlotte determines she should go into space to get the space she needs. [One carrot-shaped space ship appears thanks to Brianne Farley.] Charlotte is happy with all the space she now has! Her hypothesis was correct. Her conclusion  confirms it, but now she is lonely. Back to step 2- writing a new hypothesis. ” ‘ If I can have friends in space THEN I won’t be lonely, and I can be a real scientist.’ ”  The chocolate bunnies were too delicious, the bunny-shaped balloons floated away, “and the robot bunnies were poor conversationalists…she tried one last experiment”. Charlotte’s conclusion – go back to Earth and just get her own space for her experiments, in her case, Charlotte used her space ship for the space she needed.

The last two pages include a review of the scientific method with helpful tips for each of the 5 steps. PLUS, there is an address (both- pencil/ paper and email) for young school-aged scientists to send Charlotte their experiments using the scientific method to tell her all about it.

Revenge of the Green Banana

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Revenge of the Green Banana reads like a memoir and many aspects of the fictional tale are true, but the book is considered a work of fiction – historical, humorous, and realistic. The story begins in 1958 with Jim Murphy beginning the sixth grade. He is determined that this year will be different than all of the others. This year, he will change his ways and become a serious student who is dedicated to academic excellence. Unfortunately, the teachers at St. Stephen’s Catholic School are not privy to Jim’s transformation. Jim finds himself a student in Sister Angelica’s class. Jim soon learns that Sister Angelica has a file on him and a chip on her shoulder. Jim’s journey into academic and social excellence is short lived and quickly transforms into a revenge plot to destroy his new teacher. Along the journey of revenge, Jim learns important life lessons both in and out of school. He soon questions his desire to destroy this new teacher and isn’t sure how to change the course of action. Kids will get a nice chuckle out of this book.

Truth or Dare

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This coming-of-age story is funny and realistic, and it deals with issues that tween girls face today.

Lia Rollins’ mother was killed in a car accident. The other driver was busy texting when he collided with her mother’s car. Lia is still grieving her mother and refuses to use a cell phone. Lia is part of a group of friends who have known each other since childhood. All of the girls are growing up and hitting puberty at different times. The changes – physical and emotional – take their toll on this once tightly knit group of friends.There is a lot of talk about getting your period, cramps, and wearing a bra. The girls are starting to notice boys, too. Most of Lia’s friends are starting summer vacation by attending the same camp. Lia chooses not to go, but to stay with her aunt Shelby, her mother’s sister, instead of attending summer camp with her friends. When summer is over and the girls return to school, there is tension in the air. The girls are growing up and going their separate ways based on interest and, in some cases, based on poor treatment of one another. Identities are being discovered and shaped, girls are pushing each other’s buttons, and their once strong friendship is fragmenting. Lia is at a crossroads with her friends and her feelings about herself, growing up and letting go. Lia’s family turns out to be a stronger support system than she realized,  Lia discovers the meaning of friendship, and Lia learns that bodies change on their own schedule. Lia finally decides to get a cell phone and discovers that moving on doesn’t necessarily mean letting go.  

Examining Hurricanes

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This book is about hurricanes. It caught my eye to see what could happen how many people die each year. This book was about hurricanes. The author gives how many lives are lost and the costs for each hurricane. I was frustrated when I read that barrier broke because of design faults. If we want to stop the number of people dying from hurricanes, they (barriers) should be made correctly. If you like to learn good information, I recommend this book especially to people who want to learn about hurricanes. 

-J.D.

Examining Shipwrecks

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Examining Shipwrecks by Hayden Wedge is an interesting and entertaining yet  fact filled book.The nonfiction book maintains the theme of shipwreck exploration  while traveling through time in order to tell the reader how and why shipwrecks happens. The book’s text features and fun facts gave the book a nice kid friendly touch while being relevant to the main purpose of the book. The book’s set up makes it hard to become lost and includes an index, glossary, table of contents, and further information page. I personally like ship rides but I don’t care too much to know how they work, yet Examining Shipwrecks maintained my attention the whole time throughout the book and I enjoyed it.This book is perfect for fourth through eighth grade. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. If you like ships or are curious about shipwrecks, I highly recommend you give this book a try. This book was an interesting yet informative read that left me feeling satisfied.

-N.D.

Examining Pandemics

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The book Examining Pandemics catches attention because of the bright colors on the front and outside of the book, also the variety of pictures throughout the book when looking through. The book talks about the top 10 deadliest diseases and more. The book goes into detail of where they start, and what scientists or doctors are doing to help prevent them.  I liked how the book stayed on the topic, went by smoothly, and was easy to understand most parts. It had a few spots in the context and graphs that were harder to understand for those who do not already know about the subject. I recommend that anyone who is curious about illnesses or wants to become a doctor or scientist reads this. All in all, this book was very informative about the illnesses it included.

-K.B.

Examining Volcanic Eruptions

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This book is about destructive eruptions from active volcanoes. It states some of a few big eruptions around the northwestern area that were devastating to the locals. The book is overall great in describing why and how volcanoes erupt and what affect it can have on the environment. Although it is good in facts, it lacks an introduction to what the book is mainly about. I also feel like the author could have studied a few more eruptions around america, which can give the reader a better idea of how powerful an eruption can be over additional devastating stories. This book can be a great read for people learning about volcanoes or what makes one erupt. It can also be used for science projects. I give it a 3 star rating. It was an informative read.

-E.M.

Examining Bridge Collapses

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Right off the bat I am intrigued by this book and it’s theme of engineering. This book is all about exploring why bridges collapse and how different types of bridges are better than others in certain situations. I personally like this book, the way they explain things make engineering sound fun and exciting. I would definitely suggest this book to a civil engineer needing a quick refresh on bridge terms and vocabulary. Also if you are in middle school wanting to try engineering this would be perfect to get you started. This book is an informational book and I would have to give it 4 out of 5 stars.

-Z.L.

Examining Airplane Crashes

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Examining Airplane Crashes, By: Andrew Hatch, tells the reader how plane crashes occur, and how they can be prevented. The author also includes many of the biggest plane crashes in history. The book really thoroughly explained how plane crashes occur and also how the pilots can prevent the crashes. I really thought the book was great, it was really informative. The author seemed to explain everything that could cause a plane crash. If you are afraid of going on airplanes because you think there is a high chance they will crash, this book will help you get over that fear. More than 8.7 million flights took off in 2013, and only one of them crashed in the United States.

-Z.S.

McDonald’s: The Business behind the Golden Arches

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The book McDonald’s the Business behind the Golden Arches by Cath Senker goes behind the scenes of the McDonald’s food franchise and company. The book talks about the industry of McDonald’s. It goes on about how McDonald’s runs and works with their customers, employees, and products. I do say the book goes over the topic well. I would have liked it if they went over McDonald’s nutrition chart and how it should be more public. I would recommend this book to people who are fascinated in fast food industries. The book was very informative to read, and I rate this book with three and a half stars.

-E.J.

The IT Girl

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Anna Huntley wakes up one day to find her entire world changed because her dad is dating the super famous actress, Helena Montaine. Anna is thrust into the celebrity world as an IT girl.  Unfortunately for Anna, she is not a typical IT girl. She lacks the refinement, grace, and fashion sense of her to-be 17-year-old step sister, Marianne. In this humorous first installment, Anna must learn to be an IT girl. She learns that the image doesn’t make the person and she discovers the true meaning of friendship. This quirky character will bring a smile to your face. Readers who enjoy The IT Girl will easily slip into the humorous world of Louise Rennison’s Confessions of Georgia Nicolson Series.

Team Awkward

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Anna Huntley, Britain’s newest IT Girl, continues her zany adventure in this second installment of The IT Girl series. Anna continues to amuse and delight with her dog, DOG, her soon to be blended family, and her BFFs, Jess and Danny. The story picks up after spring break with Anna trying to prove that she is a girl of substance to her love interest, her classmates, and the world. Anna has an unexpected and unfortunate experience that lands her in a plant pot which happens to go viral on social media. Jess and Danny convince Anna that leading the school Puffin team to victory in track and field is just what she needs to restore her reputation and win Connor’s affection. Readers will laugh with Anna as she attempts to become a “sporty” person and sympathize with her when Connor starts spending time with the new girl, Stephanie.

Things Too Huge to Fix by Saying Sorry

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“Things Too Huge to Fix by Saying Sorry” written by Susan Vaught is a novel based historical and realistic events.The main hero of this book is Deni Beans, 12 years old girl, whose mother is white and father is African American. They take care of their grandmother, because she is very sick from Alzheimer’s disease. Deni’s mysteries and adventure started, when her grandma told her granddaughter to find a secret key and an envelope that she hid a long time ago. During this investigation, Deni and her best friends (Indri and Mac) try to find out what happen with the friendship between their grandmas who were two best friends from different races (Mrs Beans and  Mrs. Avadelle Richardson). This conflict led to the children’s secret investigation about their family’s past. Also, during this adventure the young investigators discover the real history of the Meredith Riot which was over the desegregation of the University of Mississippi in the 1960s.

The book has very sad and unexpected ending with many twists,and turns along the way. This book can be hard to read, because of how it is written. Most chapter begin with an excerpt from one character’s book. Some chapters include passages from another character’s diary.  Both excerpts and diary passages are from different perspectives on the historical context and occurrences that led up to the Meredith Riots. Meanwhile, the story also takes place in modern times with the grandchildren who are investigating a family feud from the past. The characters’ stories interlace to create a complex novel for historical perspective on racial tension and desegregation in the south.

I recommend this book for middle school students who enjoy learning about civil rights and African American history.

Midnight Without A Moon

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This gritty story of thirteen-year-old, Rose Lee Carter, living in Mississippi in 1955 touches the heart and soul of life for colored people in the south at the dawn of the civil rights movement. Rose Lee lives with her grandparents who are sharecroppers on a cotton plantation. Rose Lee is stuck in the south at a time when friends and family, including her mama, are fleeing to the north to escape the racial tension of the south. With the murder of Emmett Till as the catalyst for change, Rose Lee must decide whether her future will be in the north or in the south. Jackson’s skillfully provides the historical backdrop of racial tension in the south and tells a story of hope, courage and change. Jackson’s writing is lyrical and descriptive and captivates the reader with imagery. This historical fiction work is a must have for middle school collections.