Dying to Meet You

Author: Kate Klise

Illustrator: M. Sarah Klise

AR Level: 4.9 (worth 2 pts.)
Lexile Level: 730

Interest Level: Grades 3-5

Book Summary: A grumpy old writer moves into a dilapidated mansion for the summer so he can complete the last book in his series: Ghost Tamers. Ignatius B. Gurmply quickly realizes he is not living in the Old Cemetery Road mansion alone. Eleven year old Seymour occupies the entire third floor and Olive, a ghost, occupies pretty much any part of the house she wants. With creaky floors, slamming doors, and falling chandeliers, Ignatius finds it hard to focus on his writing. But, help arrives in the most unusual way.

Book Review: Dying to Meet You is quirky and imaginative, not at all the scary ghost story its title would have you believe. Readers will find its format a fun change of pace. Each page is a letter from one character to another. No one really talks to each other, not even the characters who live a floor apart. The characters are interesting and surprisingly real, even the dead one. Illustrations are abundant, appealing to all types of readers. 

Awards and Recognition:

Sunshine State Young Readers Award 2011-2012 (Florida)

Profanity:

None

Potentially Inappropriate References:

None

Potentially Inappropriate Behaviors:

Mild violence when Olive drops a chandelier on Ignatius

Parental Concern:

0 out of 5 

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

Author: James Patterson

Book Summary: Rafe Khatchadorian sees middle school as prison. He figures there's only two things you can do to survive: Make people think you are crazy so they don't bother you or keep your head down and try not to get noticed. In the past, Rafe's way was to lay low, but this year he's mixing things up. Rafe is on a mission to break all the rules from his middle school's boring code of conduct book. The only rule he follows is the one he made for himself: Nobody gets hurt. His best friend, Leonardo the Silent (he rarely speaks), has assigned points for each rule Rafe breaks. Being late for class scores him 10,000 points, destruction of school property gets him 35,000 points, and so on. The game is going well until the school bully finds the Operation R.A.F.E. (Rules Aren't For Everyone) plans and holds them for ransom - giving each page a price.

Book Review: Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life is definitely a must-read on the reluctant reader's list. It's told in first person, but talks directly to the reader at the same time. The main character, Rafe, does a lot of things parents would deem inappropriate (Hopefully our kids would, too!), but there is more going on than just a kid looking for attention. This story has depth. It addresses issues like bullying and abuse by adults, as well as by kids. It also covers death and the trauma it can cause to a child. For such deep subjects, Patterson keeps things light and doesn't dwell on anything too much for the reader to handle.

Interest Level: Grades 4 - 8
AR Level: 4.5 (worth 4 pts.)
Lexile Level: No listing

Profanity:
None

Potentially Inappropriate Behaviors:
Vandalism
Pulling the fire alarm
Chewing gum in class
Purposely breaking rules
Disrupts class
Fights

Potentially Inappropriate References:
None

Parental Concern Rating:
4 out of 5

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things

Author: Lenore Look
Illustrator: LeUyen Pham

Summary: Second grader, Alvin Ho is afraid of a lot of things: elevators, substitute teachers, wasabi, thunder, shots.... Sometimes Alvin is so afraid of things that he cannot speak. School is one of those things. "My voice works at home. It works in the car. It even works on the school bus. But as soon as I get to school...I'm as silent as a side of beef," says Alvin. Since Alvin is afraid of so many things, he considers himself allergic and carries his own PDK (Personal Disaster Kit.) The PDK includes things like a bandana to "prevent smoke inhalation" in case he starts a fire with the mirror and magnifying glass, also in his kit. It's hard to make friends when you don't speak at school, but Alvin is determined to find a way. Unfortunately, his bad decisions lead to disasters that not even the PDK can fix.

Review: Mishaps and misfortune fill the pages of Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things. It's just what reluctant readers crave. Kids will love the jams Alvin gets himself into. Alvin gets stuck upside down in a tree for hours, takes dad-mandated piano lessons from a scary old lady, gets in big trouble with his parents, insults his psychotherapist, and gets involved with a small time gang. Parents will like that the family is whole, with loving, supportive parents involved in their children's lives. Pictures are plentiful and so is the fun. (This is book 1 in a series of 3, so far.)

Interest Level: Grades 2-4
AR Level: 3.8 (worth 3 pts.)
Lexile Level: 600

Profanity:
None

Potentially Inappropriate References:
None

Potentially Inappropriate Behavior:
Alvin borrows things without asking
Alvin insults the psychotherapist with Shakespearean babble: "Get thee gone, thou beshibbering onion-eyed flap-dragon!"

Parental Concern Rating:
0 out of 5

Horton Halfpott: or The Fiendish Mystery of Smugerwick Manor or The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset

Author: Tom Angleberger

Summary: M'Lady Luggertuck's servants notice something different, a curious loosening of the rules which coincidentally starts when M'Lady's loosens her corset. The usually controlled manor quickly gets out of control. Certain things start disappearing, including the Luggertuck's Lump (the world's biggest uncut diamond) and M'Lady's best wig. The situation gets crazier when inept Detective Portnoy St. Pomfrey is called in to catch the culprit. For his part, Horton Halfpott, an unlikely suspect, is a kitchen boy in the stuffy English manor. He works hard for nearly nothing. He never breaks the rules. But when M'Lady's evil son, Luther puts an evil plan in motion to kidnap Miss Sylvan-Smythe, Horton learns sometimes the rules have to be broken.

Review: Hotron Halfpott is not your average lowly servant in a stuffy castle book. Yes, there are deplorable conditions for the servants, a greedy, villainous son, and a little romance between an unlikely pair (though the author makes it a point not to dwell on that part). But author, Tom Angleberger breaks all the rules with Horton Halfpott. He writes in first and third person at the same time. He even speaks directly to the reader. "Plus, he asked himself with horror, what if he lost a week's wages or much worse, his job? Ah, yes Reader, I know what you are thinking."  I can't leave out the curious capitalization of random words throughout the book. Or the 21 funny characters who infuse this mystery with comedy. Horton Halfpott is a light read with a good mystery, lots of comedy, and just a little romance.

Special Note: The audiobook version of Horton Halfpott is superbly narrated by Ron Keith whose use of a multitude of voices is nothing short of impressive, not to mention, highly entertaining.

Interest Level: Grades 3 - 6
AR Level: 5.8 (worth 5 pts.)
Lexile Level: 880

Profanity:
None

Potentially Inappropriate References:
None

Potentially Inappropriate Behaviors:
Stealing
Ms. Neversly hits Horton with a spoon
Kidnapping
Lying
Pirates force someone to walk the plank
Horton is pushed into a mud

Parental Concern Rating:
1 out of 5

The Kind of Friends We Used to Be

Author: Frances O'Roark Dowell    

Summary: Marylin and Kate used to be the closest of friends, but lately they can't find much in common. At the start of 7th grade, the two girls find they've both had a transformative summer. Kate is suddenly into guitars and songwriting. She wears black, clunky, combat boots and faded jeans. Marylin is on the cheerleading squad, is friends with the popular girls like "Meanest Cheerleader Ever," Mazie Calloway, and subscribes to fashion magazines. Plus, Kate hasn't been able to completely forget how Marylin treated her "like dirt," last year. As the school year progresses the two old friends head off in different directions, neither approving of the other's path. But the two girls come together when Marylin decides to run for Student Government Representative and Kate becomes her campaign manager, much to the annoyance of Mazie. The more they are together, the more they wonder if their friendship can ever go back to what it used to be.

Review: The Kind of Friends We Used to Be is a realistic story of junior high school girls who are drifting apart as they start to discover who they really are. Readers will find the characters familiar, if not entirely relatable. The content is appropriate for young girls 9 years and up. However, whether intentional advertising or artistic brand name placement, there are many references to specific companies and brands, like Food Lion, Target, Play Doh, Star Wars, etc... This is a slice of life type of book where the story picks up already in progress and ends much the same way. Don't expect any clear cut decisions to be made or for the story to neatly wrap up. The Kind of Friends We Used to Be ends without any resolutions to any part of the story which may leave some readers feeling cheated. Since this book is a sequel to The Secret Language of Girls, maybe we can assume the story was left hanging to make way for a third installment.

Interest Level: Grades 5 - 8
AR Level: 5.8 (worth 6 pts)
Lexile Level: 950

Profanity:
None

Potentially Inappropriate Behavior:
Kate watches shows she's not allowed to on MTV.
Name calling (mild)

Potentially Inappropriate References:
None

Parental Concern Rating:
0 out of 5

Children Make Terrible Pets

Author: Peter Brown

Summary: When Lucy, the bear, finds "the cutest little critter in the whole forest," she can't resist taking it home. She names him Squeaker and promises she'll take care of him. Lucy's mother is unhappy to see that Lucy has brought home a child! She asks, "Don't you know children make terrible pets?" Lucy and Squeaker become fast friends, but the good times are short-lived when Lucy begins to discover her mother might be right.

Review: The roles are reversed in this clever tale of a bear named Lucy who finds a boy in the woods and wants to keep him as her pet. Just as people know bears don't make good pets, Lucy finds children aren't ideal pets either. They are messy and hard to control, and ultimately belong with their own kind. Brown's illustrations use warm colors that create a nostalgic feeling. The pictures are clean and uncluttered. Brown concentrates only on the action of the story and leaves the background blank on most the pages.

Interest Level: Grades K-2
AR Level: 1.8 (worth .5 pts.)
Lexile Level: Not listed

Profanity:
None

Potentially Inappropriate Behavior:
Child ruins furniture (as a pet might)
Child swings from chandeiler

Potentially Inappropriate References:
None

Parental Concern Rating:
0 out of 5

Turtle in Paradise

Author: Jennifer L. Holm

Summary: Set in 1935, Turtle in Paradise is about a young girl who is sent to live with her Aunt Minnie in impoverished Key West, Florida. The story picks up at the "height of the Depression," which has left most of the island's inhabitants on "public relief." Aunt Minnie isn't expecting Turtle and neither are Turtle's three cousins, Kermit, Beans, and Buddy. Kermit and Buddy welcome Turtle, but Beans is a little less inviting.The boys are part of the Diaper Gang, a group of boys who babysit babies for candy, and although no girls are allowed, Kermit convinces them to let Turtle tag along. The Diaper Gang quickly teaches Turtle about Key West and its residents, most of which are Turtle's family - even a grandmother Turtle was told had died years before. At her grandmother's house, Turtle finds a map to hidden pirate gold on an island nearby. She shares it with the Diaper Gang. They borrow a boat (without telling anyone) to go look for the gold, but one of the boys forgets to throw in the anchor and the boat drifts away. The kids are stuck on a island and no one knows where they are. To make matters worse, a hurricane is coming.

Review: Turtle in Paradise is an entertaining work of historical fiction and a Newberry Honor book. Holm adds interesting facutal details of life in Key West before tourism took over, like having to shake out shoes to look for scorpions and rum running. Key West's oldest famous resident, Ernest Hemingway, even has a part. Turtle in Paradise packs several surprises and some twists the reader will likely never see coming. Aside from an elaborate prank on a few enemies of the Diaper Gang and some fights among friends, there really isn't much to object to. Readers will learn a little history while being thoroughly entertained.

Interest Level - Grades 3-6
AR Level - 3.7 (worth 4pts)
Lexile Level - 610

Profanity:
None

Potentially Inappropriate References:
None

Potentially Inappropriate Behaviors:
Two boys fighting
Pulling pranks - Boys use a rock on string to scrape across people's roofs to make the people think it's a ghost.
Taking a boat without asking
Tricking the ice cream man out of money

Parental Concern Rating: 0 out of 5

Bink & Gollie

Authors: Kate DiCamillo & Alison McGhee
Illustrator: Tony Fucile

Book Summary: There's Bink: short, messy, laces untied, clothes sometimes matching, hair never combed. Then there's Gollie: Tall, clean, laces tied, clothes always matching, hair mostly combed. These two friends have a lot of differences, but somehow they stay the best of friends. Bink and Gollie, is made up of three short stories. The first follows Bink and Gollie rollerskating into a store where Bink buys colorful striped socks that she loves, but Gollies hates. In the second story, Gollie is on a great imaginary hiking adventure inside her house, while Bink is outside the door trying to get Gollie to let her in. In the third story Bink gets a fish, but Gollie is jealous and afraid the fish will replace her.

Book Review: The Odd Couple for kids; that's how I'd describe Bink and Gollie to parents. The pictures make the book with bright colors and sketches that bring the story alive. The dynamics between Bink and Gollie are depicted with great humor. "The problem with Gollie," said Bink, "is that it's either Gollie's way or the highway. My socks and I have chosen the highway." This book is good, clean fun.

Interest Level: Grades K-2
AR Level: 2.5 (worth .5 pts)
Lexile Level: 310

Profanity:
None

Potentially Inappropriate References:
None

Potentially Inappropriate Behavior:
None

Parental Concern Rating: 0 out of 5

The Mailbox

Author: Audrey Shafer

Book Summary: In The Mailbox, Gabe Pace comes home on his first day of 6th grade to find his Uncle Vernon dead on the floor. Afraid of being sent back to foster care, Gabe does nothing. He goes to school the next day as if nothing has happened, but when he returns home he finds Uncle Vernon's body is gone and a note in the mailbox that says: "I have a secret. Do not be afraid." Next, the mystery letter writer leaves Gabe a dog, named Guppy, a bag of dog food, and another note that says, "I want to help you." In the days that follow, Gabe finds that he can manage pretty well on his own. He takes care of the house, the dog, and gets himself to school. No one suspects a thing. That is, until Uncle Vernon's body is discovered.

Book Review: The Mailbox is a captivating story of survival and mystery. The truth is revealed a little at a time and the story comes to a satisfying end. Some parents may be uncomfortable with the way the Gabe finds his grandfather and that he sleeps next to his grandfather's body the first night. Watered down depictions of  violence during the Vietnam War may concern some parents, as well. Overall, the story is told with realism, but also with thoughtfulness. Nothing in the book is too harsh for readers 12 years and up.

Interest Level: Grades 6 - 8
AR Level: 5.0 (worth 6 pts.)
Lexile Level: 790

Profanity:
None

Potentially Inappropriate References:
"His nuts were cut off." Janet defines what makes a horse a gelding.


Potentially Inappropriate Behavior:
A veteran recounts a story of another soldier who shot an armed Vietnamese boy during the Vietnam War.
Two people imply a veteran shot himself in the head, possibly trying to kill himself.
Lying

Parental Concern Rating: 2 out of 5

Crash

Author: Jerry Spinelli

Book Summary: John "Crash" Coogan, freshman football hero, is a bully. His favorite victim: "The happy little accident," from down the street, Penn Webb. The thing about Webb is he doesn't seem to notice or even care about the pranks Crash pulls on him. Being obnoxious and playing football is all Crash really cares about until Crash's grandfather, Scooter, comes to live with Crash and his family. When Scooter suffers a stroke, Crash begins to make a transformation that no one expected, least of all himself.

Book Review: Crash is a hard character to like. He's obnoxious, rude, and plain mean. He buries his mother's pansies at 5 years old. He torments his neighbor, Penn Webb, for 10 years. He never passes up an opportunity to humiliate another student. He fills Webb's shoes with mustard in school. Three quarters of the book he is an angry, selfish, arrogant, bully. Crash rarely suffers any consequences for his actions. If Spinelli is trying to teach kids a lesson, he fails. Crash becomes a good guy in the end, but his transformation happens so fast that it leaves no time to explain why.

Interest Level: Grades 4 - 6
AR Level: 3.6 (worth 4 pts.)
Lexile Level: 560

Profanity:
Damn

Potentially Inappropriate References:
Damkauf (translates to dumb head in German)

Potentially Inappropriate Behavior:
Lying
Bullying
Hitting
Fighting
Stealing
Threatening

Parental Concern Rating: 4 out of 5

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

Author: Tom Angleberger

Book Summary: In The Strange Case of Origami Yoda,Tommy can't decide if the origami Yoda Dwight made is clairvoyant or a really good prank. If it is a prank, wonders Tommy, how does a total loser like Dwight pull it off? Origami Yoda is giving solutions to hard problems like how be liked by classmates, and it's working. Dwight, who digs holes in his backyard and then sits in them for no apparent reason, can't be smart enough to know the answers to life's toughest tween-age questions. Tommy starts a file of incidents involving Origami Yoda's advice and then analyzes them. He asks his friends to do it, too. He makes comments on each case, as does his skeptical friend Harvey. In fact, fed up with Origami Yoda and his faithful followers, Harvey makes his own Origami Yoda and gives opposite advice. Both Yodas give Tommy advice about Sara, the girl he likes. Dwight's Yoda say, "Likes you, she does." Harvey's Yoda says, "Hates you, she does." Tommy has to figure out which one is right before he makes a move that could pay off big time or end in complete humiliation.

Book Review: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is written with the same appeal as the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. It uses a variety of fonts, small sketches, and humor. It doesn't linger too long on any one event. The pace is quick. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda also adds alternate views with engaging, sometimes hilarious, character narratives. This book will be another favorite of reluctant readers.

Interest Level: 3 - 6 grade
AR Level: 4.7 (worth 3pts)
Lexile Level: 760

Profanity:
None

Potentially Inappropriate References:
Pee - "It's not pee, it just looks exactly like pee."

Potentially Inappropriate Behavior:
Cheating on a test - the kids hear from Origami Yoda that they should study for a pop quiz.
Kids consider Dwight to be "clueless," and a "loser."

Parental Concern Rating:
1 out of 5

We Are in a Book! Book Review

Author and Illustrator: Mo Willems

Book Summary: When Elephant gets a sneaking suspicion he and Piggie are being watched, Piggie takes a closer look and discovers us, the reader! Once Elephant's shock wears off, he and Piggie decide to have a little fun by making the reader say a certain fruity word. It's all fun and games until they discover the book will end in 10 pages. Quick thinking brings a satisfying end to all.

Book Review: They're on to us! We readers, that is. The latest installment of the Elephant and Piggie books, We're in a Book!, is perhaps the funniest one so far. Readers will feel part of the story as Elephant and Piggie control what they read and say, and even ask a favor at the end. Mo Willems captures surprise, delight, fear and happiness in each sketched depiction of his clever characters. Willems is the best at taking a limited vocabulary (suitable even for kindergartners) and creating an engaging and unique story. This is not an easy thing to do! Every beginning reader should have Elephant and Piggie books to practice with.

Interest Level:
Pre-K - 1st grade

AR:
Not listed

Lexile: 200L

Profanity:
None

Potential Inappropriate References:
None

Potential Inappropriate Behavior:
None

Parental Concern Rating: 0 out of 5