Hate That Cat: A Novel (2008) by Sharon Creech

Summary:  Jack is back, and this time his poetry is all about about cats.  Jack is very happy to be in Mrs. Stretchberry's class for the second year in a row and learning more about poetry and poets.  He even is lucky enough to get postcards from Walter Dean Myers!  Read his poetry and find out if he really hates that cat.

Genre:  Free Verse Poetry

Subjects/Themes:  types of poetry, cats, dogs, poets

Reviews:  Booklist, School Library Journal

Age Group:  Grades 4-8

Love that Dog (2001) by Sharon Creech

Plot Summary:  Jack is a student in Room 105-Miss Stretchberry's class.  He starts out his book of poetry in September by telling the reader that he doesn't want to write poetry because only girls write poetry.  This sweet little book of poetry follows a student's experimentations with reading and writing poetry.  The poems are questions and responses that the writer has asked his teacher.  It contains classics such poets as Robert Frost, William Blake, and William Carlos Williams.  Jack struggles with self-confidence in writing poetry.  He doubts his own writng abilities, and this book follows his progress in the subjects of reading and writing poetry.  By June, it becomes obvious that Jack has not only found a favorite poet, but has become a great lover of poetry.

Genre:  Free Verse Poetry

Subjects/Themes:  types of poetry, dogs, writers

Reviews:  Positive reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal, SLJ referred to this book as "a tiny treasure."

Age Group:  Grades 4-8

The Looking Glass Wars (2006) by Frank Beddor

Plot Summary:  In this first book in the trilogy, Alyss is part of a royal family since she is the princess of Wonderland.  However, her status changes when her evil Aunt Redd is successful in her attack on the royal family forcing Alyss to flee with her bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, into the Pool of Tears.  Hatter loses his grip on Alyss's hand, and she winds up in Victorian England.  Not knowing how to get back to Wonderland, Alyss tries to survive on the streets with other orphans.  Despite her best efforts to remain "free," Alyss finds herself in an orphanage and is adopted by a family.  Alyss tries to get anyone to believe that she is a real princess that belongs in Wonderland, but is dismissed time and again for believe a child with "quite an imagination."  Hatter desperately tries to find Alyss and travels far and wide to do so.  He finally does many years later and interrupts her wedding to explain to Alyss that they must return together in order to save Wonderland, overthrow Redd, and restore order to the throne.

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As a fan of Alice in Wonderland in all shapes and forms, I find this trilogy to be an excellent combination of science fiction and technology while pulling in elements of the original Alice in Wonderland story.  It is a fast moving adventurous tale of the original “Alyss,” who is princess of Wonderland. 

Subjects/Themes:  Imagination, war, rulers

Genre:  Fantasy

Reviews:  School Library Journal & Booklist

Age Group: Grades 4-7

Series:  Trilogy:  The Looking Glass Wars, Seeing Redd, and Archenemy

Smile (2010) by Raina Telgemeier

Plot Summary:  Raina, a 6th grader, is not happy when she finds out that she needs braces.  As far as she is concerned, her teeth look fine.  She gets this bad news and then something even worse happens.  While returning from a girl scout meeting, she and her friends are fooling around and chasing one another when Raina trips and falls.  This fall badly damages her mouth, and her two front teeth fall out!  It's absolutely horrible.  Although her mom rushes her to the dentist with one of the teeth in hand, things do not go as they hope.  The dentist inserts the tooth and creates a cast on Raina's upper gums to try to hold the tooth in place.  The other tooth has been pushed far up into Raina's gums and will hopefully come back down.  Several weeks later when the cast is removed, the tooth immediately falls back out.  This is only the beginning of Raina's mouth problems. 

This story follows Raina through middle school and into high school. Her journey includes many of the things that most kids would expect-mean girls, pimples, and boys!  Raina is also forced to endure various forms of mouth trauma over the years-all of the mouth pain that comes with braces, false teeth attached to a retainer, and problems with her gums.  Not only does Raina have to deal with all of the regular social and emotional problems of growing up, but her mouth tooth situation as well.  This true story about the author is one that tweens and teens alike can relate to.

Format:  Graphic Novel

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Subjects/Themes:  Braces, mouth trauma, friendship

Reviews:  Great reviews by School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly.

Age Group:  Grades 5 & up

13 Treasures (2010) by Michelle Harrison

Plot Summary: 13 year old Tanya is tired of being poked and tormented by fairies that only she can see.  They are the reason why she has such a terrible relationship with her mother.  Tanya's mom doesn't understand that the fairies are behind all of the late night disturbances and destruction within their home.  Tanya's mother's patience snaps and she decides that Tanya is going to stay with her grandmother for a few weeks.  This is not happy news for Tanya, since her grandmother always makes it obvious that she isn't wanted there, and the place is filled with even more fairies.  But Tanya has no choice, and she must put up with her unhappy grandmother as well as the grounds keeper's son, Fabian, who is always lurking about and annoying her. 

Not thinking it possible, upon arrival to her grandmother's house even more mysterious things begin to happen.  What are her grandmother and the groundskeeper Warwick whispering about?  Why are Tanya and Fabian banned from entering the woods?  The unlikely duo of Tanya and Fabian team up to uncover an age old disappearance of a young girl, the secrets behind the hidden passageways, the origin of Tanya's second sight, and the curse of the catacombs.  This is a must read for mystery and fairy lovers everywhere.

Please enjoy this book trailer:

Genre:  Fantasy/Mystery

Subjects/Themes:  Fairies, supernatural powers, murder, kidnapping

Reviews:  Publishers Weekly Review, School Library Journal, and Booklist

Age Group:  Grades 5-8

High Interest Annotation:  This dark, supernatural story will keep you on the edge of your seat.  Read and unravel the mysteries of the 13 Treasures.....  A must for fairy lovers.

The Time Machine (2010) by H.G. Wells

Plot Summary:  A group of gentleman are gathered and they meet a man they know only as the Time Traveler.  They get to know him well as they debate and discuss the different possibilities of the dimensions of time and space. The traveler is obviously quite clever and intelligent, but the men are suspicious of him.  The time traveler shows them a small object, which is a model of the real time machine.  The men are unsure, but when the traveler presses a small lever on the model and they watch it disappear, they realize that it's not trickery.  When the traveler shows them the real time machine, they still question if time travel is really possible, but he insists that it is. 

One week later, the gentlemen receive a note that the Time Traveler will meet them at 7:00 p.m. for dinner, but if he doesn't arrive, to please start without him.  He arrives on time, looking exhausted and starved.  They offer him food and drink, and he gobbles it down like he hasn't eaten in days.  Once his appetite is satisfied, he begins to tell his friends of his adventures through time.  He begins the story, saying that he will only tell it if he is not interrupted.  He gets the attention of his friends, and begins........ The traveler tells of the place that he visited, the future, and of two peoples that he has discovered that live:  the Eloi and the Morlock.  He gives great description of the horrors that he has encountered and his struggle to get out alive.

This graphic novel is an excellent adaptation of the original story.  The pictures bring the story to life and pull the reader into the adventure.  Great choice for tweens.

Genre:  Fantasy/Science Fiction

Format:  Graphic Novel

Subjects/Themes:  Time travel, experiments, dimensions of space

Reviews:  Library Media Connection

Age Group:  Ages 9-12

High Interest Annotation: Even reluctant readers would enjoy this version of the classic.  It's detailed pictures combined with the simple text will draw in everyone.

Bones of Faerie (2009) by Janni Lee Simner

Plot Summary:  15 year old Liza has always listened to her parents. They tell her stories of war that happened twenty years ago between the humans and the faeries that have devastated both sides.  Liza lives with her parents in a town that is secure and sufficient onto themselves.  Magic is not allowed in their town and neither are outsiders.  Liza's father is one of the people within the village that makes sure that the people within the town shun and cast out any newcomers.  Liza is told to stay out of the forests and away from nature since the magic that has been left behind is harmful to humans.

One terrible night after witnessing just how brutal her father can be, Liza's mother leaves her family and doesn't return.  Liza starts realizing that things are not as they seem and when she begins to see visions of herself with pale silver hair that is a sign of magic and faerie.  She realizes that she must find her mother and begins her journey into the dangerous unknown outside of the village.  Will Liza find her mother?  Or will she get lost in what is left of civilization since the war?

Genre:  Fantasy

Subjects/Themes:  Magic, faeries, war

Reviews:  Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal & Booklist

Age Group:  Grades 5-7

Sheep by Valerie Hobbs (2006)

Plot Summary:  This story is told from the perspective of a border collie now named Jack.  He tells us about his life and the many adventures and journeys that he has experienced.  Dog lovers will enjoy this story that is sometimes sad, but always has the reader rooting for Jack!

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Subjects/Themes:  Farming, circus life, cruelty to animals,

Reviews:  Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal & Booklist.

Age Group:  Grades 2-6