What I read this week

Citation: Sachar, L. (2000). Holes . New York, NY: Yealing. Summary : Stanley Yelnats has a family with bad luck, Stanley had the most recent case of it. He was going to a camp in the middle of the dessert because he had been charged and convicted of stealing important shoes. At the camp all they do is dig holes all day in the hot desert heat. Stanley can tell something is wrong with this place. Him and his new and silent friend, Zero, dig into the mystery behind Camp Green Lake. My Thoughts: This story is engaging to those of all ages. Stanley and Zero, and their family history make for a fast paced story of grand adventure. This is a story I would recommend to those reluctant readers who like adventurous stories, a story my brother, who hated reading, loved. Professional Review : “Gr. 6^-9. Middle-schooler Stanley Yelnats is only the latest in a long line of Yelnats to encounter bad luck, but Stanley's serving of the family curse is a doozie. Wrongfully ...

Citation: DiCamillo, K., & Campbell, K. G. (2013). Flora and Ulysses. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. Summary: Flora is a skeptic. She doesn’t hope. When that squirrel gets vacuumed up, she doesn’t hope the squirrel turns into a superhero, but he does. She doesn’t hope that she can talk to the squirrel, either, but she can. This book follow the adventures of Flora and her squirrel, Ulysses, who is a superhero. This is a story about finding love that you didn’t know you had. My thoughts: This adorable story is one I would love to read aloud to a group of children. While being fun and with the comic book inserts, it still shows an important lesson. It is ok to feel, but also know you are loved. This is a book I would have in not only a library collection, but a personal collection as well. Professional Review: “Ten-year-old Flora Belle Buckman's life changes when she resuscitates a squirrel after his near-death experience with her neighbor...

Citation: Selznick, B. (2007). The inventions of Hugo Cabret: a novel in words and pictures . New York, NY: Scholastic. Summary: Hugo Cabret is a young boy who has lost a lot in his life. He lost his mom, his dad, and now his only relative he had left, his uncle, passed as well. The one thing he does have left from his family is the love of machines, which comes from being from a family of clock makers. Hugo tries to fix his fathers prized possession, an automaton. This automaton can write, or at least he thinks it can if only he could get his hands on the parts he needs to fix it. The story starts with Hugo getting caught stealing by the toymaker whose toys have all the parts Hugo needs. The toymaker sees Hugo’s notebook, where the boy keeps the drawings of the automaton; then, threatens to burn the book. Hugo meets the Shopkeeper’s goddaughter and together they try to convince the shopkeeper to let Hugo fix this machine. My thoughts: The combination of wri...