STUDENT REVIEW- The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda

By Tom Angleberger

Published by Abrams, Harry N., Inc., 2010

141 pages (paperback)

In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel. (from barnesandnoble.com)

I liked the humor. It was in all of the right places. It was great! Yes, [I would recommend this book to a middle schooler]. It’s really funny and would speak to nerds, like myself!

-Lilly H.

TOP TEN TUESDAY: I'll Buy These Authors' Books No Matter What!

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is the Top Ten Author's I'd Put On My Auto-Buy List.

There are some authors I am kind of obsessed with. I get their books the DAY they come out. Thankfully I am a librarian and I can buy these books with the school's money and not my own. Whoo hoo!

• Laurie Halse Anderson (Chains; Speak)
• John Green (An Abundance of Katherines; Looking for Alaska)
• Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)
• Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss)
• Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey Series; Immortal Rules)
• Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret)
• Jane Austen (Pride & Prejudice)
   *Yes, I know she is not alive any more, but isn’t there a “lost” manuscript somewhere?

Maureen Johnson (Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes; Name of the Star)

Lauren Myracle (Shine)

Scott Westerfeld (Uglies; Leviathan)

Kristy's Great Idea By Raina Telgemeier... based on the book by Ann M. Martin

Kristy's Great Idea (BSC Graphix Series #1)

By Raina Telgemeier, (based on the book by Ann M. Martin)

Published by Scholastic, Inc, 2006

192 pages (paperback)

Based on Ann M. Martin's bestselling series, America's favorite baby-sitters are back -- this time, in a heart-warming and hilarious graphic novel.

In this new graphic novel edition of the very first BABY-SITTERS CLUB book, Raina Telgemeier captures all the drama of the original in warm, spunky illustrations. Witness Kristy's eureka moment, when she gets the idea for a "baby-sitters club" and enlists her best friends, shy Mary Anne and artistic Claudia, in an exciting new venture. But the baby-sitting business isn't the only thing absorbing their attention: Kristy is having a hard time accepting her stepdad-to-be, and the newest member of the gang, Stacey, seems to be hiding a secret. (from barnesandnoble.com)

Oh, BSC, how I loved you growing up.

Seriously, I spent hours (even days) in the world of Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia (my niece is named after this BSC character!), Stacey, etc. They came up with a creative business and then dealt with the antics of kids, classmates, family members, and each other. It was because of them that my main job in high school was babysitting and that in college I still enjoyed hanging out with kiddos while their parents were gone (and getting paid for it… and eating yummy food).

At first I was hesitant to read the BSC graphic novel. I mean, Raina Telgemeier's drawings aren’t quite how I pictured some of the characters and she obviously had to leave out some details, but it was fun to see the action played out. Plus, she added in a few scenarios to help readers understand the overall story so, for me, it was a new twist on books I knew and loved.

For those who loved the regular BSC novels and for those to enjoy (or have to endure) babysitting, these are great books to pick up. I just wish there were more…..

THANK YOU!

The UMS Library was able to get $850 in books thanks to the UMS Student Council Scholastic Book Fair last week. That is the best EVER. I was able to get lots of awesome books that will be available to be checked out soon. Whoo Hoo!!!

THANK YOU to all the UMS Student Council members who worked the Scholastic Book Fair last week!

THANK YOU to the students & staff & parents who bought items at the book fair!

THANK YOU to Mrs. Hlinka for organizing the book fair!

THANK YOU to all the students who suggested books for me to get at the book fair!

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Top Ten Favorite Characters in Fantasy Books

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is My Top Ten Favorite Fantasy Characters.

Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Such a loyal and sweet hobbit.

Elisa from Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae CarsonShe’s sassy and determined… which is a good combo if you want to save your kingdom from some unsavory people.

Marian from Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
She is a librarian and librarians are AWESOME! However, she was left out of the movie adaptation. What?!? Not cool at all. That is why books are better than movies.

Abe Lincoln from Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Gotta love Honest Abe as a killer of vampires. He’s the best!

 

Hermione from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Sometimes being a bookworm can get you and your friends out of trouble and save the world.

Matilda from Matilda by Roald Dahl
Oh, I wish I had her powers sometimes.

Grimalkin from The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Love that sarcastic talking cat!

The Cat from Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Apparently I have a thing for sarcastic cats who like to chit-chat with characters… hmmmmmm

Alice from Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Alice loves fashion, is fun & kind, and seems like a cool friend.

Grandpa Joe from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Spunky old guy. He’s so cute.

Bewitching by Alex Flinn

Bewitching (the Kendra Chronicles)

by Alex Flinn

Published by HarperCollins, 2012

352 pages (hardcover)

Bewitching can be a beast. . . .

Once, I put a curse on a beastly and arrogant high school boy. That one turned out alright. Others didn't.

I go to a new school now—one where no one knows that I should have graduated long ago. I'm not still here because I'm stupid; I just don't age.

You see, I'm immortal. And I pretty much know every-thing after hundreds of years—except for when to take my powers and butt out.

I want to help, but things just go awry in ways I could never predict. Like when I tried to free some children from a gingerbread house and ended up being hanged. After I came back from the dead (immortal, remember?), I tried to play matchmaker for a French prince and ended up banished from France forever. And that little mermaid I found in the Titanic lifeboat? I don't even want to think about it.

Now a girl named Emma needs me. I probably shouldn't get involved, but her gorgeous stepsister is conniving to the core. I think I have just the thing to fix that girl—and it isn't an enchanted pumpkin. Although you never know what will happen when I start . . . Bewitching. (from barnesandnoble.com)

I had been wanting to read an Alex Flinn novel for a while and the premise of this book seemed rather interesting. And, ultimately, the overall story was pretty good. It was a new take on Cinderella with some surprise twists and interesting characters.

HOWEVER, the book was told from the perspectives of quite a few difference characters which made the flow of the book choppy. In fact, some of Kendra’s back stories seemed awkwardly placed and not necessary. AND I wish more of the story had been told from Kendra’s point of view because I enjoyed her sassy and sarcastic voice. It seems as though we will hear more of Kendra’s stories in the future so I really do hope her voice is the main focus.

Overall this was a light-hearted story that was fun to read. Sure, it could have been better, but it was an easy way to get away for a few hours.

STUDENT REVIEW- Many Waters by Madeline L'Engle

Many Waters

By Madeline L’Engle

Published by Square Fish, 2007

224 pages (paperback)

Sandy and Dennys have always been the normal, run-of-the-mill ones in the extraodinary Murry family. They garden, make an occasional A in school, and play baseball. Nothing especially interesting has happened to the twins until they accidentally interrupt their father's experiment.

Then the two boys are thrown across time and space. They find themselves alone in the desert, where, if they believe in unicorns, they can find unicorns, and whether they believe or not, mammoths and manticores will find them.

The twins are rescued by Japheth, a man from the nearby oasis, but before he can bring them to safety, Dennys gets lost. Each boy is quickly embroiled in the conflicts of this time and place, whose populations includes winged seraphim, a few stray mythic beasts, perilous and beautiful nephilim, and small, long lived humans who consider Sandy and Dennys giants. The boys find they have more to do in the oasis than simply getting themselves home—they have to reunite an estranged father and son, but it won't be easy, especially when the son is named Noah and he's about to start building a boat in the desert. (from barnesandnoble.com)

I loved how she got me interested in Sandy and Denny and decided to explore more of their characters. Sometimes the story was a bit hard to follow and I didn’t like that Noah’s daughter couldn’t get on the Ark. I would [recommend this book to middle schoolers] because it is about a very sophisticated topic that many middle schoolers would benefit from.

--Isabella S.