What am I reading today?

All the Pretty things by Emily Arsenault

Total read in March thus far: 25

Pick 6: super powers

Most kids have a fascination with superheroes. The promise of powers beyond our peers, unsurprisingly, captures the imagination. Here are six books published in the last six months that explore what it means to have super powers.

6 new superhero novels

1. Black Canary: Ignite by Meg Cabot
2. Captainz by Texier
3. Diana Princess of the Amazons by Shannon Hale
4. Drew and Jot Dueling Doodles by Art Baltazar
5.  Wonder Woman Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
6. Green Lantern Legacy by Minh Lee

What am I reading today?

Jasmine Green Rescues a Piglet Called Truffle by Helen Peters

Total read in March thus far: 23

Non-fiction book review - Apollo 13

Apollo 13 by Laura B Edge

Like most people, I had a passing understanding of what had happened with the Apollo 13 mission due to references in other books about space exploration. This was the first text I'd read dedicated to the subject and it was enlightening. Edge takes us through an abridged history of the space program and how those previous missions influenced the approach and goals of Apollo 13. A fair portion is dedicated to the disaster itself and the complications it presented to the astronauts. The final portion of the book is focused on what we learned from the mission. Not only about what cause the explosion but about improvising solutions, having disaster plans, and the efficiency of the teams in Houston and aboard the craft itself in making calculations and running simulations. Its a fascinating, multi-faceted event well conveyed by this book.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

What am I reading today?

Sparrow by Mary Cecilia Jackson

Total read in March thus far: 22

Blog Tour book review - Don't Check Out This Book

Title: Don't Check Out This Book
Author: Kate Klise
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Operation Frog Effect by Sarah Lynn Scheeger
                      Friendship Over by Julie Sternberg
Rating:

easy to follow

Summary (provided by publisher): Is the sweet town of Appleton ripe for scandal?
Consider the facts:        
Appleton Elementary School has a new librarian named Rita B. Danjerous. (Say it fast.)       
Principal Noah Memree barely remembers hiring her.      
Ten-year-old Reid Durr is staying up way too late reading a book from Ms. Danjerous's controversial "green dot" collection.       
The new school board president has mandated a student dress code that includes white gloves and bow ties available only at her shop.  
Sound strange? Fret not. Appleton's fifth-grade sleuths are following the money, embracing the punny, and determined to the get to the funniest, most rotten core of their town's juiciest scandal. Don't miss this seedy saga!

My opinion: Censorship, especially in schools, is a popular topic for middle grade fiction these days. Interestingly, this book is just as much about corruption in local government as it is about censorship. It focuses a lot of attention on the school board president's abuse of her position for financial gain and to push her moral agenda. The pun based names and the novelty of the format are amusing. My biggest criticism of this book is that it casts adults as both the protagonist and antagonist. While it is the children who reveal the truth behind what is happening at their school, the librarian and school board president hold these key roles. I'd have preferred to see the kids in more prominent roles. Use this book to start a conversation with young readers about censorship, responsible leadership, and effective protests.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

What am I reading today?

Who Got Game? Baseball by Derrick Barnes

Total read in March thus far:20