WWW Wednesdays

What are you currently reading?
Hungry by H. A. Swain
In Thalia's world, liquid nutrition and inoculations have replaced food. No one is hungry. At least, that's what One World says. Lately, though, Thalia has been experiencing unusual symptoms. She's light headed. And her stomach makes odd noises. Could it be possible? Is Thalia....hungry? And what will One World do when they find out?
It's a little slow going so far but I'm about halfway through it and things seem to be picking up.

What did you recently finish reading?
How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes are Untied by Jess Keating
Ana's best friend has moved away. To New Zealand! There's a group of girls at school determined to make her life miserable. To make matters worse, her family is moving into a house in the zoo and her tv star grandfather is in town to make a documentary. Right when Ana would like nothing better than to disappear, the world seems to be conspiring to force her into the spotlight.
This is a pretty decent story about not letting other people's opinions color your view of yourself.

What do you think you will read next?
The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
This one has been getting a lot of buzz and I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Music and Mayhem

9 months of hard work have finally paid off. We had our puppet variety show on Saturday. Nine kids participated in the show (illness prevented it from being ten). They were very proud of their hard work. I hope to have a link to the YouTube video of the show for you in a week or two. In the mean time, here are some photos from the event.

 

Book Review: The Great Greene Heist

Title: The Great Greene Heist
Author: Varian Johnson
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Similar books: Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
                     Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Rating:

Scheming fun

Summary: Jackson has a reputation for scheming and running cons in his middle school. After getting in trouble, he swears he's gone straight. Then his "nemesis", Keith, runs for student council against Jackson's former friend Gaby. Jackson's certain Keith is up to no good. He assembles a team for one final job: to make sure the election is fair. Can Jackson trick the bully without catching the attention of the principal who has it out for him?
My Opinion: A fun read for the summer (or anytime really). It's a book for anyone who's ever wanted to put a bully in his place. Jackson and his crew deftly trap Keith without resorting to bullying themselves. In fact, at various points Jackson holds members of the crew back from taking the plan too far. A great cast of characters flesh out a fantastic plot, so long as you are willing not to take it too seriously. The book includes a brief glossary of the terms the crew uses in their planning, like White Rabbit and Denver Boot.
More Information: The Great Greene Heist releases May 27th.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic Novel Spotlight: Rapunzel's Revenge

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale

Take your average fairy tale, turn it on it's ear, empower the girls, and set it in the old west. That's the joy that is Rapunzel's Revenge. The characters make mistakes, sometimes things they can't fix, and face the consequences of their actions. Rapunzel is a tough girl who makes her own way in the world and, most importantly, chooses. This book is all about choice. There is also a second book called Calamity Jack. Great for the 10-15 year old set but also has some appeal for older readers.

Rapunzel harnesses the power of her hair

 

and she doesn't put up with Jack goofing off

WWW Wednesdays

What are you currently reading?
Oblivion by Sasha Dawn
A year ago, Callie's father vanished. At the same time, a local girl also disappeared. A girl who was part of Callie's father's parish. Callie wonders if the secrets to these disappearance may be locked inside her head and in the words she frequently feels compelled to write on the nearest surface. 
I've only just started this one but it seems pretty compelling.

and

Revolution by Deborah Wiles
Sunny's whole world is changing. Her dad remarried a year ago and his new wife and her two kids are still finding their place in Sunny's family. Its the summer of 1964 in Mississippi and the world seems to be exploding around her. 
I'm a sucker for good historical fiction (especially set in the 60's onward) and I absolutely loved the first book in this trilogy, Countdown. These books integrate song lyrics, ads, images, and more from the era.
 
What did you recently finish reading?
The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson
Jackson has a reputation for scheming and running cons in his middle school. After getting in trouble, he swears he's gone straight. Then his "nemesis", Keith, runs for student council against Jackson's former friend Gaby. Jackson's certain Keith is up to no good. He assembles a team for one final job: to make sure the election is fair. Can Jackson trick the bully without catching the attention of the principal who has it out for him?
Anyone who's ever enjoyed a heist movie will enjoy this book.
 
What do you think you will read next?
The Swift Boys & Me  by Kody Keplinger
The story of a girl trying to hold onto her friends when their whole world has changed. Sounds like a solid middle grade novel. 
 

Pick 6: Early Chapter Series

This is a list I find particularly useful. This is the list for the parent who asks for a book for their child who is just beginning to read chapter books. There are some great early chapter series currently being published.

6 New Early Chapter Series

1. Three Ring Rascals by Kate Klise   (the circus and lessons in kindness)

2. The Berenson Schemes by Lisa Doan   (wild adventures)

3. Monkey Me by Timothy Roland   (a kid turns into a monkey - includes comic strip sequences)

4. Kung Pow Chicken by Cyndi Marko   (super hero chickens)

5. Good Crooks by Mary Amato   (kids raised to be crooks who want to do good)

6. Sasquatch and Aliens by Charise Maricle Harper   (cryptids)


Also, just as an FYI, if you look into some of these books you'll see an emblem in the corner that says "Branches." Branches is a new(ish) imprint of Scholastic specifically for these early chapter books.

Puppets

During the school year, one of our Friday programs is a puppet group. We make a different kind of puppet every month and have been working on putting together a puppet show which we will perform on Saturday (more on that next week). After our puppet show, we'll have a reception with a puppet sale to fund next year's puppets. These puppets are all things I have made as examples for each month's puppet session. Here are some of my favorites.

The Spoon Chef - we think he looks like Jamie Oliver

The Swamp Thing

The Fish

The robot shadow puppet

The baby dragon marionette