Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom (2010) By Susin Nielsen

Plot Summary:  Violet is angry.  Since her parents' divorce, twelve year old Violet's mother keeps dating one loser after another.  Violet is sick of it, and she is tired of visiting her dad and his new wife and seeing their perfect lavish house, while she, her mom and her sister live like paupers.  Her parents got divorced when Violet's mom caught her dad cheating on her with one of the actresses he was directing. 

Now Dudley Weiner, her mom's latest guy, is in the picture and Violet is determined to get rid of him before they get serious.  She feels unwanted and unloved by her father, who lives in L.A. with his young blonde wife and their almost two year old twins.  Violet and her best friend Phoebe spy on Dudley to find out his secrets.   Deciding that she needs to protect her mom,  Violet gets an idea to write a letter to George Clooney to convince him to marry her mother.  While her adjusting to her family life without her dad is hard enough, Violet has to deal with a mean girl at school and her first crush.  This story about growing up and facing your fears is funny and sad, and despite Violet's bad behavior most of the time, you will be on her side. 

Subjects/Themes: divorce, stepfamilies, dating, single parents

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Reviews:  Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Booklist

Age Group:  Grades 5-8

High Interest Annotation:  This is a great story for tweens and teens who have had to deal with divorce and stepfamilies.

Muse Magazine

Summary of Contents:  Each issue starts out with a Dear Reader page that contains an assortment of topics.  One issue contains humorous poems about germs, another criticizes the "Taxonomy of Tiny Things." Another page contains a mystery quote of the month.  The topics in each issue vary greatly, and it calls itself "The magazine of life, the universe, and pie throwing."  I find that most of the issues deal with science topics.

It also contains a feature article in each issue.  One issue had a story about children going hungry, another two true spooky tales.  There are also various comics throughout the magazine.

Towards the back of the magazine is muse mail-submissions and responses.  There is also a two page layout in the back of each issue that shows the contest winners from the previous issue's contest.  They sponsor both art and writing contests.  The back page of each issue advertises books or kits that readers might be interested in purchasing.  Overall the magazine is quite random and I can definitely see the appeal for tweens.

Format:  Magazine

Subject/Themes:  Variety of topics

Issues:  9 issues over 12 months

Age Group:  Ages 9-14

High Interest Annotation:  The various topics and stories within each issue will draw a variety of readers.  Very interesting and sometimes humorous topics.  Perfect for tween humor.

The Unsinkable Walker Bean by Aaron Renier (2010)

Plot Summary:  Walker Bean has listened to his grandfather tell him stories about legends of the high seas his whole life.  He always figured they were just that-stories.  But when his grandfather takes ill and tells Walker that the only way for him to live is if Walker stows away on his father's ship, Walker thinks his grandfather is dizzy with fever.  Walker's father has possession of a skull that has terrible powers and must be returned to its rightful place. 

Only when the skull is returned to the merwitch sisters will Walker's grandfather gain his health back.  He explains to Walker what needs to be done and give him a few tools to aid him along the way that at first glance seem useless.  Walker meets Shiv, who helps him to stowaway on a pirate ship when the pirates steal the skull from Walker's dad.  What comes next is an adventure on the high seas involving pirates, curses, deadly merwitches, and a mysterious "doctor."  Will Walker return the skull in time?  What will happen to those that glance at the skull?  Walker is on the adventure of his life.

Format:  Graphic Novel

Genre:  Adventure/Science Fiction

Subjects/Themes:  Curses, legends, pirates, witches

Reviews:  Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, *Starred Review* in Booklist

Age Group:  Grades 4-7

High Interest Annotation:  Large pages with extremely detailed pictures help to tell this adventurous story of curses while on the high seas.  Reluctant readers will grab this after just a glance at its pages.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (2006)

Plot Summary:  Edward Tulane is a porcelain rabbit who lives on Egypt Street with an owner that loves and adores him-Abilene.  Abilene always makes sure that Edward is dressed just right and looks perfect.  She treats Edward as one of the family and makes sure that he is always included at all meals and outings.  All Edward thinks about is how beautiful he is and he is quite full of himself.  Sadly, one day Abilene boards a ship and Edward is lost overboard.  This is the beginning of Edward's journey on the path to learning that there's more to life than just taking love, it should be about the giving.

Awards & Reviews:  Reviewed by Publishers Weekly Review, Library Journal Review, School Library Journal Review, and Booklist Review.

Genre:  Realistic Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Toys, love, adventure.

Age Group:  SLJ: Grades 3-6, Booklist Grades 2-4-I feel that some of the vocabulary in this book would be difficult for 2nd graders, with the exception of those that are advanced readers

Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (2009)

Plot Summary:  When an author visits the school, the kids can’t wait to meet him and get their books signed.  They find out that the author isn’t so nice, and when the gym teacher mysteriously goes missing, Lunch Lady realizes that something is fishy.  She and her sidekick , Betty, head out to uncover what’s really going on.

Format:  Graphic Novel

Genre:  Mystery/Adventure

Series:

Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown (2010)

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians (2009)

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute (2009

Reviews:  School Library Journal and Booklist.

Age Group:  Grades 2-4, definitely a high interest read for older kids.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett (2004)

Plot Summary:  Sixth grader Petra Andalee is having a great school year so far.  Her teacher, Ms. Hussey, is unlike any other teacher that she has ever had.  Ms. Hussey enjoys mysteries and wants her students to really think about things.  Ms. Hussey’s class is always very excited to learn about whatever adventure or investigation that she has cooked up for them.  Enter Calder Pillay, her classmate and neighbor.  They are not really friends, but know each other from school.  Petra finds a discarded book at the local book store and finds it very intriguing since it contains files of unexplained mysterious events all over the world.  This gets Petra thinking about a possible project for Ms. Hussey’s class.  When a rare painting by Johannes Vermeer appears in the news because it has been stolen, Ms. Hussey decides that the class will work together to try to solve this mystery.  The thief has written letters to the media explaining why the painting has been stolen and what needs to be done in order for it to be returned.  The thief is demanding that certain circumstances surrounding the life of Johannes Vermeer be set straight and that the world needs to recognize that it’s probable that not all of the paintings attributed to Vermeer were actually painted by him. 

Together, Petra and Calder team up to try and put together the clues.  At times, it is really hard work and even dangerous following their leads.  Petra and Calder are determined to discover the thief and the location of the painting, and no one can stop them.  They will be challenged with puzzle after puzzle, but they will not give up until they have solved this mystery.

Genre:  Mystery

Subjects/Themes:  Art history, Vermeer, puzzles

Reviews: Great reviews from Booklist, Voice of Youth Advocates, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal.

Age Group: Grades 5-8

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron (2006)

Plot Summary:  Lucky, a 10 year old girl, is being raised by her absentee father's first wife after her mother dies in a lightning storm.  Lucky is trying to find her own "higher power" which is all that she hears the anonymous adults talking about at their twelve step meetings at the museum where she cleans. What is this higher power?  How does Lucky get there? Brigitte takes good care of her and seems to love her, but what if she decides to leave this dusty California desert and return to France? Will Lucky end up in an orphange in Los Angeles?  This touching story shows a young girl who is trying to find a family and love, and she can't recognize that it's right in front of her until she finally comes face to face with her very own higher power.

Awards & Reviews: This 2007 Newbery Award Winner has been reviewed by Publishers Weekly Review, School Library Journal, and Booklist.

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Subject/Themes: Family, runaways, Twelve-step programs.

Age Group:  Grades 4-6

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper (2010)

Plot Summary:  This is an excellent story written from the perspective of an 11 year-old girl who has never spoken a word because she has cerebral palsy. Melody is confined to a wheelchair and only is able to make very small and mostly uncontrollable movements with her arms and hands.  Melody is quite brilliant-probably the smartest kid in her school.  She has a photographic memory, but unable to express this so she is left to suffer in a “baby classroom” with other special needs children, learning the ABC’s and her colors day after day. Life in general is very frustrating and unhappy for Melody since she is unable to communicate.  Things change for Melody when she is able to get a computer that does the talking for her. A sad but uplifting story of the challenges this young disabled girl is able to face and conquer because of her own courage, along with the strength of those who love her.

Awards & Reviews:  This book received a *Starred review* from Booklist as well as a very positive review from School Library Journal.

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Subjects/Themes:  Cerebral palsy, special needs children, cliques.

Age Group:  Grades 4-6 according to SLJ, but I felt that this book would definitely be enjoyed by students up to Grade 8.

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (2000)

Plot Summary:  Matilda is a 16 year old girl living in Philadelphia during the time of the yellow fever epidemic. This book is accurately placed within the historical fiction category for its story of this young girl and how she must forget about being a child and do what is necessary to survive.  When her family's servant girl dies from this plague, Matilda realizes how dangerous things really are and is forced to stand by and watch while her mom is taken to be quarantined when it becomes obvious that she is infected.  Matilda must try to protect her family's Coffeehouse while trying to also care for her grandfather, who also displays symptoms of infection.  The detailed description of living conditions within the city during this time, as well as society's reaction to the plague and those sick, makes this story very real for the reader.  Mattie is forced to do things and make decisions that are entirely out of element for a young girl in this time period, but it is necessary because of the grave situation that she is in. 

Awards & Reviews: This book was reviewed by Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Booklist.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Subjects/Themes: Plague, Philadelphia, yellow fever, epidemics.

Age Group:  Grades 6-10

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book One: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood (2010)

Plot Summary:  A very interesting story, combining a Mary Poppins type governess with Matilda like parents (or guardians in this case) and three children: Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia who have been raised by wolves in the woods. The children were found by Lord Ashton on his property while he was on one of his hunting expeditions.  He captures the children and brings them back to his home where he puts them to live in the stables.  Enter Miss Penelope Lumley, a 15 year old girl who is a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy.  Miss Lumley becomes governess to the children & teaches and loves them.  These children are seen by the rest of society as incorrigible and savage. The lady of Ashton Place, Lady Constance, is a whiny and uncaring woman who simply sees these "children" as a burden.  Lucky for them, they have "Lumaroo," (aka Miss Lumley) to love and care for them.  The reader on the audiobook has an English accent, which makes the story quite charming. Some of the mysterious happenings at Ashton Place are left unsolved at the end of the story, leaving a trail to the next book in the series.

Awards & Reviews: This book was reviewed by Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and received a *Starred Review* from Booklist.

Genre:  Mystery

Subjects/Themes: Orphans, governesses, hunting, wolves.

Age Group:  Grades 5-8, although I believe that younger children would enjoy this audiobook, since it is read with such zest and imagination!

The Name of This Book is Secret by Psuedonymous Bosch (2007)

Bosch, Pseudonymous.  (2007).  The Name of This Book Is Secret.  New York, NY:  Little, Brown and Company.

Plot Summary:  The Narrator is very involved in this story and warns the reader against turning pages and reading this book.  The narrator wants the reader to understand that this book is very dangerous because of the secret that it contains.  Cass is in the antique shop when Gloria Fortune comes in with a box of stuff for her Granpas to sell.  Inside the cardboard box is a beautiful wooden box that is lined with velvet and filled with vials.  The vials all contain different scents-from vanilla to lemon to dirt.  The box is called The Symphony of Smells.  Gloria tells them how she is trying to sell a house that once belonged to a magician who died under very mysterious circumstances.  This intrigues Cass, and when she and Max-Ernest find a slip of paper within the box that they see as a message for help from the magician, they decide to investigate further.

Cass and Max-Ernest break into the house and find a secret room that contains all of the magician’s things.  As they are looking through the stuff, Cass finds a notebook that matches the Symphony of Smells box.  Just as they find the book, Gloria arrives to show the house to a couple-Mr. L. and Ms. Mauvais.  Cass and Max-Ernest can see them through a grate in the wall and Cass can tell that there is something not right about these people.  The woman seems to be looking right at them through the wall with a curious expression on her face, and is asking a lot of questions about the magician’s belongings.  Cass and Max-Ernest decide to make a run for it and unfortunately, Gloria recognizes Cass.  They get away, but not before the couple sees Cass holding the notebook.  When they are finally safe, it looks like the notebook only contains one page with a riddle and is otherwise empty.  Cass and Max-Ernest think that they risked breaking in and getting caught for no reason.

Later, Cass and Max-Ernest are able to solve the riddle and then Cass realizes that the notebook is not empty at all-the writing is simple hidden inside each folded page.  As she and Max-Ernest unfold the pages and read the magician’s writing, many stories begin to unfold, and many more mysteries need to be solved.  Such as…what happened to Benjamin?  Where is Gloria Fortune? What is the magician’s secret?  What will happens when Cass visits the spa?  Who are Dr. L. and Ms. Mauvais and what are they really after?  Cass and Max-Ernest must put themselves in harm’s way more than once to try to get to the bottom of many secrets……

Genre:  Mystery

Suggested age range:  8 through 12

Series Information:

Book 2:  If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late (2009)

Book 3:  This Book is Not Good For You (2009)

Book 4:  This Isn’t What It Looks Like (2010)

Subjects/Themes:  Magicians, kidnapping, magic

Awards: 

Edgar Awards (Edward Allan Poe Awards) Nominated for an award (2008)

E. B. White Award Nominated for an award (2008)

Reviews: This book was given very favorable reviews by School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist.

Character Description:

Cassandra-She is an 11 year old girl who calls herself a survivalist.  Cass has everything that she needs stored in her backpack that she takes with her everywhere she goes.  Some adults see her as an extremist, but Cass knows when trouble is out there and tries to do her part.

Max-Ernest-He is an 11 year old boy who has two names because his parents couldn’t stop fighting over what to name him when he was born.  This ultimately led to their divorce, but they still all live together in the same house as a family-although every room in the house is split down the middle.  This makes for a very stressful home environment for Max-Ernest and probably contributes to his condition-which is that he can never seem to stop talking!

Melanie-This is Cass’s mother.

Grandpa Wayne & Grandpa Larry-They are Cass’s “substitute” grandpas.  Grandpa Larry was Cass’s mom’s high school history teacher.  Melanie asked Wayne and Larry to fill in as Cass’s grandpas since neither one of her original grandpas was around.  They live in an old firehouse that doubles as an antique shop.  Cass is close with them and goes to the shop after school sometimes to help out. 

Gloria Fortune-She is a real estate agent who has the magician’s house on the market.  Gloria also brings things from estates to the antique shop for the Grandpas to sell.

Sebastian-This is the Grandpas’ dog.  He is blind and also losing his hearing, but has an awesome sense of smell.  Cass relies on him for protection and sniffing things out.

Benjamin-This is a boy that goes to school with Cass and Max-Ernest.  Cass believes that he has a special ability with smells, colors, and music, which is why his paintings are all connected to music.  When Benjamin is kidnapped by Dr. L. and Ms. Mauvais, Cass tries to figure out why.

Dr. L.-He is the partner of Ms. Mauvais.  Together they run a place called the Midnight Sun Sensorium and Spa.

Ms. Mauvais-The woman who was interested in the magician’s belongings and the notebook that Cass took.  Also referred to as the “Golden Lady” by the magician in his notebook. 

Annotation:  This book is so cleverly written, and has many twists and turns during the storytelling and is suspenseful.  The narration is written skillfully to avoid giving certain details such as addresses or names in order to keep the secret.  The story continues……

The Sisters Grimm, Book One: The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley (2005)

Plot Summary:  Twelve year old Sabrina Grimm and her seven year old sister, Daphne, are shuffled from one foster home to another in New York City since their parents have gone missing. The police have found no leads and it seems as if they have just vanished into thin air.  The girls have been sent to one awful foster home after another by their caseworker Ms. Smirt.  Ms. Smirt seems to despise children and just loves to pinch the girls.  Finally, a grandmother they never knew and that they thought was dead takes responsibility for the girls and brings them to live with her in the town of Ferry Landing, NY.  Sabrina is suspicious at first and doesn’t believe that this woman is truly their grandmother.  It just doesn’t make sense.  Mrs. Grimm’s house is odd and she serves food that is weird.   Why would her father tell them his mother was dead?  What reasons would he have from keeping them away from their grandmother, if that is who she is?  Sabrina decides that she and Daphne are going to run away from this place, just as they ran away from the foster homes.

Their plan to run away doesn’t exactly go as planned and the girls find themselves back in their “Granny’s” house.  There are so many odd things going on there-locked rooms, strange voices behind closed doors, and the fact that her so-called grandmother talked to the house.  When their first outing turns out to be a visit to a crime scene, they realize that there is something unusual about their granny.  Sabrina and Daphne learn that Ferryport Landing is the home of the “Everafters”-which is what the fairy-tale creatures call themselves.  Years earlier, when regular people started moving into Ferry port Landing, the Everafters felt threatened and problems arose.  In order to keep peace, a very powerful witch put a spell on the town preventing the Everafters from ever leaving, and the spell would remain in place for as long as there is a living descendant of the Grimm brothers. 

It is then that Sabrina and Daphne find out that they are the direct descendants of the Brothers Grimm and that they come from a long line of fairy tale detectives. They are expected to continue this tradition, and this investigation is only the beginning of Sabrina and Daphne's journey into the world of fairy tales.  When their Granny Relda is taken by a giant, it is up to the girls to save her.

Genre:  Mystery

Suggested age range:  8 through 12

Series Information: To date, 8 books in all: 

Book Two:       The Unusual Suspects (2006)

Book Three:     The Problem Child (2006)

Book Four:      Once Upon a Crime (2007)

Book Five:       Magic and Other Misdemeanors (2007)

Book Six:         Tales from the Hood (2008)

Book Seven:    The Eve rafter War (2009)

Book Eight:      The Inside Story (2010)

Subjects/Themes:  Fairy tale characters, magic, orphans, Brothers Grimm

Awards:  
Beehive Children's Fictional Book Award (nominated for an award) 2007
Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Book Award (nominated for an award) 2008
Grand Canyon Reader Award (nominated for an award) 2009
    
Reviews:

School Library Journal, Booklist, Horn Book Guide, Kirkus, VOYA, and Library Media Connection

all gave this first book in the series good reviews.

Annotation:  This is the first in an excellent mystery series by this author.  Fairy tale fans will love exploring this series with all of its interesting characters rewritten into modern roles.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (1967)

Plot Summary:  Claudia Kincaid is unhappy at home.  She is tired of all of the responsibilities that are thrust upon her as the oldest child in a large family.  Claudia has her mind set on running away—and not just anywhere—she wants to leave her family in Connecticut and run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  Claudia carefully plans which of her brothers she is going to ask to accompany her on her journey.  She decides on Jamie, since he is very cost conscious and saves all of his money.  They plan to stuff whatever clothes that they can into their instrument cases-Claudia plays the violin and Jamie the trumpet.  Claudia and Jamie very carefully plan their trip and arrive at the museum as planned.  Once there, they learn the schedule of the guards and the opening and closing routines of the museum.  When it’s close to closing time, they creep into the nearest bathroom and perch on the toilet so that they will not be discovered.  During the day, they blend in with classes that are there on field trips and venture outside of the museum to local places to eat.  Claudia and Jamie very carefully budget their money so that they can afford meals and have the opportunity to wash their clothes at a laundromat.  At Claudia’s insistence, they bathe in the fountain within the museum.  Jamie is in charge of the money, and Claudia is in charge of their learning and personal care. 

When crowds start appearing at the museum to get a glimpse of a newly arrived statue, Claudia and Jamie become curious and wonder what is so interesting.  They find out that there is a question as to whether or not the “Angel” statue is a piece of art created by Michelangelo.    They decide to try to do some detective work on their own, but are unable to find out anything significant, except for information about the person who donated the statue—a Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler of Farmington, Connecticut.  Once their adventure at the museum seems to come to a standstill, they decide that they need to visit Mrs. Frankweiler to find out more about the statue.  What they find is that Mrs. Frankweiler herself is something of a mystery, but that she welcomes the children’s curiosity and determination to find out the truth surrounding the statue.

Genre:  Mystery/Detective Stories

Suggested age range:  9 through 12

Subjects/Themes:  Metropolitan Museum of Art, runaways, NYC, Michelangelo.

Awards:          Newbery Award (1968)

William Allen White Children’s Book Award (won award) 1970

                        Flicker Tale Children’s Book Award (nominated for an award) 1987

Reviews: Booklist and Publishers Weekly give this books a favorable review, noting that this particular story and adventure is still interesting to readers after 35 years

Annotation:  Although I am certainly dating myself, this is one of my favorite childhood books.  Re-reading it was a pleasure and it is a wonderful story filled with mystery and adventure.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (2008)

Plot Summary:   The setting of this story is in a graveyard, where Nobody Owens, a young boy, is living with ghosts since his family was murdered.  The lives of his mother, father, and sister were taken in the middle of the night, and he would have been murdered as well if it wasn’t for the fact that he heard a loud noise, climbed out of his crib, and toddled out of the house down to the graveyard.  The ghost of his mother appeared to the folks of the graveyard begging one woman in particular, Mrs. Owens, to take care of and protect her child.  There was a great debate amongst the people of the graveyard-some 300 participants argued and spent an entire night discussing whether or not they should allow a live boy to stay and live there.  Mr. and Mrs. Owens agree to take care of and raise him and they give him the name of Nobody Owens.

Silas is the only one who can leave the graveyard, so he volunteers to be the guardian of Nobody to ensure that he has food and proper clothing.  So “Bod,” as he is known to the spirits in the graveyard, is given the “Freedom of the Graveyard” which means that he can pretty much go anywhere within.  As Bod grows older, he is taught to read and to do some of the things that the ghosts can do, such as “fade” and blend in to his surroundings even though he is a live boy.  He meets Scarlett, a real girl, whose parents come to sit on a bench and read in the cemetery.  He spends some time with her and together they make some interesting discoveries in the cemetery, such as coming face to face with the Indigo Man and hearing the Sleer.  Scarlett moves and Bod is once again left to find someone to play with.  Silas has to leave so he arranges for Ms. Lupescu to come and take care of Bod.  Bod is angry that Silas is leaving and immediately dislikes Ms. Lupescu.  Things become more difficult when she feeds him terrible food and makes him learn things about the graveyard that Bod thinks are ridiculous. His boredom leads him to meet some newly arrived members of the graveyard, and he winds up being taken through a ghoul gate by ghouls.  Luckily, the things that Ms. Lupescu taught him come in handy and he is able to summon help.  Ms. Lupescu saves his life and Bod’s attitude towards her changes significantly.  As Bod grows older, he is allowed to venture a bit from the graveyard and attend school.   He must learn to be just a shadow and a whisper to people, and to not draw attention to himself.  Bod blossoms into a responsible young man who is quite capable of taking care of himself both inside and outside of the graveyard.  The man Jack has not forgotten about him though, and Bod must be ready to face him when the time comes with the support of his family.

Genre:  Mystery

Subjects/Themes:        Cemeteries, Ghosts, Supernatural, Orphans

Awards:          Newbery Award (won award) 2009

Hugo Awards (won award) 2009Los Angeles Times Book Prizes (nominated for an award) 2008Locus Awards (won award) 2009Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature (nominated for an award) 2009Audie Award (won award) 2009World Fantasy Awards (nominated for an award) 2009Elizabeth Burr/Worrall Award (won award) 2009Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards (nominated for an award) 2009Book Sense Book of the Year (won award) 2009American Library Association Notable Books for Children (won award) 2009Great Stone Face Children's Book Award (nominated for an award) 2009Evergreen Young Adult Book Award (nominated for an award) 2011Kate Greenaway Medal (nominated for an award) 2010Carnegie Medal (won award) 2010Young Reader's Choice Award (nominated for an award) 2011

Reviews:         Received *Starred review* from Booklist, as well as very positive review from School Library Journal

Suggested age range:  8 through 12

Annotation:  This book gives the reader a rare glimpse into the community and daily activities of the graveyard, where live people are the outsiders.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (2007)

Plot Summary:  Greg Heffley’s mom wants him to write his feelings down in a diary.  He is appalled and insists that it’s a journal and that’s all it is.  He figures it might come in handy one day when he’s famous and that is the only reason that he agrees to do it.  Can you imagine if he actually got caught with this thing by someone?  How humiliating that would be.  Middle school is tough enough without giving kids additional reasons to bully and torment you.  Greg writes about his experiences at school, with his horrible older brother Rodrick, and his best friend Rowley.  Greg is new to middle school and isn’t too happy about the changes that come along with it-girls, bullies, trying to be cool, and many other social problems of growing up.  His stories and drawings are hilarious and typical of this age group.

Awards:  Quill Awards (nominated for an award) 2007, Original Voices Award (won award) 2007, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award (won award) 2009

Reviews:  Positive reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, Voice of Youth Advocates, and Publishers Weekly

Genre: Realistic fiction, Humor

Subjects/Themes: Friendship, middle school, diaries, humor

Age Group: Grades 5-8