Joey and Johnny The Ninjas: Get Mooned by Kevin Serwacki and Chris Pallace - Juvenile Recommended
Joey and Johnny The Ninjas; Get Mooned is completely baffling from start to finish. The peculiarity level on this book is so high that by the end it’s hard to accurately describe the mayhem. Readers who enjoyed the dearth of Diary of a Wimpy Kid readalikes or who finished all the Tom Angleberger books should be handed this novel immediately. Not only does it read like something maybe their parents or teachers wouldn’t like, it is illustrated and had the best sort of fun funny that isn’t mean funny at someone else's expense. The plot is a lot like Star Wars Jedi Academy by Jeff Brown, the two boys are in ninja school and the entire school is staffed by teachers straight out of Dan Gutman’s My Weird School. The novel has tons of readalike potential and tie ins to Avatar or Naruto that will make it easy to pitch to kids. The cover art and story illustrations are bold lure readers with its comic book appearance. An ideal choice for boys, gamers, reluctant readers in upper grades and kids who watch too much tv and need to be weaned onto fiction. This isn’t recommended as a classroom read aloud though, the vaguely nonsensical plot is written in a sort of magical juvenile language that will make perfect sense to kids but will need some translating for adults. An adult reading this out loud, possibly without reading it through first will be totally bamboozled. This book is already in our collection. We will add this copy to our collection as well and it will most likely be checked out by the end of the day. This is a recommended title for school and public libraries serving readers age 8-12 or grades 3rd-7th. Keep your eyes peeled for another book in the series due out in 2016. Laura Perenic Blank by Trina St.Jean - middlegrade optional purchase Blank by Trina St. Jean is a realistic story of Jessica/Jessie who is injured on the family farm, resulting in a coma and memory loss. Though physically healthy aside from some scars, Jessie remembers only random information; nearly everything about her friends, family and past life are gone. Jessie’s relationship with her younger brother Stephen is endearing. Her relationships with her parents are more awkward and Mom and Dad feel like caricatures. Just as Jessica works to reveal her past the reader has to wait for the plot to develop. The story is slow and many reader may get bored. Reader’s expecting a dramatic climax or a big reveal at the end with a science fiction or paranormal twist will be disappointed. Blank is more about accepting change and dealing with adversity. Watching Jessica make discoveries about who she was and who she can is motivating. The inspirational message of Blank will appeal to readers with their own personal challenges. It is an easy read and there are are few objections for content besides some underage drinking. This is an optional purchase for school and public libraries serving readers ages 11 and up or 6-8 grade. Laura Perenic Legend the Graphic Novel by Marie Lu - teen optional purchase Graphic novels of fiction novels can be challenging to pull off. The graphic novel should be entertaining to readers who have or have not read the first novel. The the graphic novel should make the reader want to read the novel it is based on or encourage the reader to read the comic even though the reader knows the plot points from the original material. Having read the first book already, the graphic novel is surprising in places but not all that exciting. The majority of the plot is developed on the cover and the dust jacket so that the reader knows a lot about the two main characters. June is the privileged prodigy and Day is the criminal intent on ruining The Republic. The pair of opposites end up on the same side and fight together presumably into the next book since there a lot of setup at the end. Its impressive the 300 page chapter book was encapsulated in a 150 page comic book. The story could have been shown in greater detail if more time had been taken with the storyboard to really draw things out. Overall the book lacks tension and impact. A minor quibble as it pertains more to the book than the comic version but what is it about being in mortal danger that makes people want to kiss? Optional purchase for grades 6 and up. Minor reservations for fantasy violence and death that are handled vaguely. Laura Perenic Crazy by Linda Vigen Phillips - teen high school recommended Crazy, set in the 1960s and told in verse, is the first person perspective of Laura who fears mental illness is hereditary and she will be institutionalized like her mother. With the stigma of mental illness so clearly reinforced by the adults in her life who avoid the topic, Laura doesn't share her fears with friends or caring teachers. The verse was a great way to explain Laura’s tangential thoughts. It was easy to get involved in her life and worry for and with her as things progressed. Keeping track of the family members that flit in and out focus as Laura’s mother suffers a series of setbacks was a little challenging. Using the 1960s was a unique way to show how little progress has been made in the field of mental health and it really highlights how keeping these issues in the open is best way to deal with them. The adults in this book are mostly all shut down with a few stand outs in Laura’s art teachers who struggle to push Laura toward answers without also pushing her away. I really didn't want to like this book, I think I judged the cover. I was truly worried for the character and I felt connected to her struggle as least as an adult who wanted to help. I think this will circulate with some effort. I do wish the ending had been different. A bit reveal about the mother was abrupt and it seemed little of the plot focused on that detail again. I guess its realistic, life progresses even when the book is done. Recommended for school and public libraries serving readers grades 8th - 12th. Minor reservations for mention of rape. Laura Perenic Title: The Endless Lake by Erin Hunter Author: Erin Hunter Publisher: Harper ISBN: 978006210272 Evaluation: The story follows the trek of a group of dogs as they try to find their old pack. The first half is confusing and hard to get through if one has no background on her post-apocalyptic dog world, but the second half is somewhat interesting with decent pacing. This is a buy if her other books were checked out, but a no if there is no existing fan base. Optional. - Peter Kilkelly Title: The Freedom Summer Murders by Don Mitchell Author: Don Mitchell Publisher: Scholastic ISBN: 9780545477253 Evaluation: This is an excellent nonfiction book about the Freedom Summer Murders in Mississippi in 1964. The book does a good job of describing the murders to draw in interest and then laying out the lives of the three murdered activists and pointing to how the impact of the murders extends to today. The only mild criticism is it might be tough for someone who knows nothing about the civil rights movement, but most high school students should know enough. Highly recommend, particularly for high school but could be read by 7th or 8th graders. Peter Kilkelly Title: Athlete vs. Mathlete: Timeout Author: W.C. Mack Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books ISBN: 9781619633018 Evaluation: The book is about a summer camp experience of two brothers who are learning about themselves. The book is funny and does a good job of differentiating the brothers and providing an arc for them to grow up over the book. This would be good for middle schoolers looking for light fun reading about sports and growing up. Recommend for school/ library serving 5th through 8th graders. Peter Kilkelly
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SOYAMRGWe are a diverse group of librarians and teacher librarians from southwestern Ohio. Archives
May 2016
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