Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset by Tom Angleberger

Title: Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset

Author:  Tom Angleberger

Publisher:  Amulet Books     

Year:  2011

ISBN:  978-0-8109-9715-8 

Genre: Fiction/Humor 

Awards:  Edgar Award/Honor Book

AR Points: 5.0

This book is for Ages: 8 and up

Subjects/Themes: Character

Horton Halfpott is a kitchen boy in the Luggertck household.  As things go missing in the Luggertuck household Horton and his friends the snooping stable boys try to unravel the mystery and its connection to the beautiful heiress Celia and a band of shipless pirates.

Silly and fun retelling of the Cinderella story, by Tom Angleberger, Horton is too good to be true.  He is loved by the baker and the pirates.  Angleberger also provides the illustrations for this book which are quite entertaining.  This is a fun and quick read with a glow in the dark cover.   

If you like this book you may also like The Strange Case of Origami Yoda also by Tom Angleberger or Captain Underpants by Dave Pilkey.

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

Title:   Freak the Mighty

Author:  Rodman Philbrick

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.       

Year:  ©1993

ISBN:  978-0-439-28606-0

Genre: Fiction/Realistic

This book is for Ages: 10 up

Awards:  Judy Lopez Memorial Award Honor Book

AR Points:      5.5

Subjects/Themes: Friendship, School, Family, Identity, Death

Plot Summary:  Max always thought he was a stupid, unlovable giant.  Everyone is afraid of him, even his Gram and Grim (Grandpa) who he lives with since his mother died and his father went away.  One day Max meets Freak, a very small and extremely smart boy.  Together they become Freak the Mighty, avoiding bullies, and performing quests.  Freak shares everything with Max, like the secrets of how to read and what words mean.  Freak is going to get bionic body from the research lab at the hospital.  

Review:    Despite his small size, Freak is a superhero.  He saves Max in this compelling and powerful story by Rodman Philbrick.  This book is full of adventure and on its face is a great story.  For older readers Freak the mighty challenges us to examine the way we look at children of all ages to see beyond the physical into the heart and spirit of the young people we encounter.

Alter This by Alena Hennessy

Title:   Alter This       

Author:  Alena Hennessy

Publisher:  Lark Books          

Year:  2007

ISBN:  978-1-5790-948-2

Genre: Non Fiction/Crafting

This book is for Ages: 8 and up

Subjects/Themes: Paper Crafts

Alter This is has great ideas for up-cycling books into cool art and other projects.  It has a materials section and a design section to help you decide on how you want to create your projects and teach you how to talk like a real artist.  Projects include, top secret shadow boxes, picture frames, and accordion books.  Alter This shows you lots of fun and creative ways to use old books as canvases for your own art.

If you like this book you may also like:  Playing with Books, by Jason Thompson.

Everyting On A Waffle by Polly Horvath

Title:   Everything on a Waffle

Author:  Polly Horvath

Publisher: Scholastic Year: 2001

ISBN:  0439-44309-4

Genre: Fiction Realistic

This book is for Ages: 9-12

Awards: Newbery Honor Book

AR Points:      5.0

Subjects/Themes: Family Life/ Hope/Death/ Courage/Food/Foster Care

Plot Summary:  11-year-old Primrose lives on an island in British Columbia.  When a terrible storm strikes her mother goes searching for her father who is out on his fishing boat.  Both parents disappear and are presumed dead.  But Primrose refuses to believe that her parents are not coming back.  Primrose is sent to live with the neighbor who is around 104, until her uncle comes to take care of her.  Can Primrose and Uncle Jack stick together in the hope that her parents will return,  Even when no one else believes?

Review: Polly Horvath creates a great character with Primrose.  Despite her troubles Primrose keeps you laughing.  Her descriptions are unique.  “Uncle Jack looked like a pig, albeit a lean good-looking pig.  Miss Honeycut looked like a turtle.  It was hard to imagine a pig and a turtle together but it gave me something to do the rest of the meeting.”  Horvath includes recipes in the book including one for Carrots in Apricot Glaze which are the exact color of Primrose’s hair.

If you like this book you may also like:  Trolls, by Polly Horvath

Sam I Am by Ilene Cooper

Title:  Sam I am

Author:  Ilene Cooper

Publisher:  Scholastic Press  Year:  2004

ISBN:  0-439-43967-1  

Genre: Fiction/Realistic

This book is for Ages: 10-14

AR Points: 8.0

Subjects/Themes: Family/Religion/Identity

Plot Summary:  Sam’s mom is Christian but his dad is Jewish.  When his dog Pluto knocks over the Hanukah Bush and breaks his mother’s treasured ornaments.  His parents decide to change the way the family celebrate the holidays.  Sam wonders about God and religious tolerance as he searches to define who he is, and what he believes.

Review:   Good book with likeable characters.  Sam has a voice that reflects his 7^th grade self.  He likes, girls, is starting to grow up and is not sure what he thinks about God.   Sam I am acknowledges religious intolerance and racism as it is encountered by the young people in school and the media.  Sam I am is a good book for students to read when studying WWII or the Holocaust.  Ilene Cooper’s book provides insight and answers for some of the questions that many adults and children encounter when struggling with questions about religion. 

If you like this book you may also like: Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass.

Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day By Gary Paulsen

Title:  Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day

Author:  Gary Paulsen

Publisher:  Wendy Lamb Books       Year:  2004

ISBN:  0-385-325886

Genre: Fiction/Realistic/Humor

This book is for Ages: 8 - 12

AR Points: 3.0

Subjects/Themes: Family/School/

Plot Summary:  Orphaned, Molly McGinty a 7^th grader at Our Lady of Mercy Middle School lives by the book.  That is her notebook where she keeps track of everything from school assignments and lunch money to when to pay her Grandma Irene’s bills.  Molly loses her notebook the night before Senior Citizen’s Day at school.  Grandma Irene in her purple suede jeans joins Molly and her three friends Mary Margaret, Mary Pat, and Mary Bridget in a day filled with folly. 

Review:   Gary Paulsen author of The Hatchet writes very well. Molly McGinty is not the book on which to judge his career.  This book is silly.  While it imparts a good message about the need for control, Grandma Irene and Molly’s adventures do not display the depth and knowledge of character development that Paulsen delivers in his other books.  Paulsen tosses Molly from black eye to boyfriend in a quick and easy read.

If you like this book you may also like: Desdemona, Twelve Going on Desperate.

Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher

Title:   Th1rteen R3asons Why

Author:  Jay Asher

Publisher:  Razor Bill            Year:  2007

ISBN:  978-1-59514-171-2

Genre: Fiction

This book is for Ages: 13 up

Awards: YALSA Best Books for Yong Adults; Kirkus Editor’s Choice;

AR Points:      9.0

Subjects/Themes: Friendship/High School/Suicide

Plot Summary:  Clay Jensen receives a box with seven audio tapes in it.  When he listens to the first tape he hears the voice of his most recent crush, Hannah Baker.    Hannah killed herself only two weeks ago.  The tapes list the 13 reasons why she chose to take her life and are being sent to the 13 people who were part of the reason why.  If Clay or any of the others don’t listen to all of the tapes and pass them on to the next person, then someone else will release the tapes for everyone to hear.  Clay visits all the places in his town as he listens to Hannah tell her story.

Review:   I sat down and read this book straight through.  It is a thought provoking novel simultaneously told from two points of view, an interesting concept.  The story is compelling.  Of course you want to know why a young high school girl would take her life.  As an adult, I can look back and see many things that I went through in Hannah’s life.  Bad things happen and sometimes people welcome those bad things into their lives.   They purposely place themselves in situations that they know are dangerous and wrong.   No one knows why.  Asher creates good, bad and human characters.  He captures them where teens live in between adolescence and adulthood.  Teens and young adults have the ability to know right from wrong and sometimes lack the courage to stand up and do what is right or see dreadful consequences looming ahead.   Fortunately being a teenager is not terminal and high school does not last forever.   If you or someone you know is depressed or contemplating suicide please tell someone.  If that person doesn’t listen, tell someone else.  Keep telling people until someone listens and helps. You can find help from www.hopeline.com and 1-800 –SUICIDE.  These were some resources listed in the back of the book.  

If you like this book you may also like:  Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.