Wow! I can't believe I've been away from blogging so long (more about that tomorrow in my slice). But no matter what was happening in my life, I kept reading when I could. Since I last blogged, here are a few titles that were holding my interest:
Never Say Genius -- This is the second in the Genius Files series, and it is sure to be a student pleaser. I have several students begging me to bring this into school asap! I really liked Gutman's first book, The Genius Files, and the second
book doesn't disappoint. Our heroes, Coke and Pepsi, are still
traveling cross country with the parents in a motor home, headed to
Washington DC for their aunt's wedding. I love how Gutman
incorporates geography, information about states, and celebration of the
oddball museums across the United States. The reader does have
to suspend belief sometimes to really believe our heroes continue to
elude death at the hands of the bad guys, but it is so much fun
every time they do! And the cliffhanger at the end of the book sets us up for a great Book 3.
Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog -- Don't forget the Kleenex box while reading this one. This was given to me as a gift, and at the time I didn't realize it was
adapted from a book written for adults. Now, I can't wait to read the adult version so I can see how the stories parallel each other. Racing in
the Rain is told from the perspective of the dog, which I think
dog-loving kids will find very appealing. He sees himself as a person,
and is frustrated when he acts like a dog. Hearing the story of his
owners is powerful. A tear jerker for me, but I love that stuff.The Fault in Our Stars -- I reread this amazing book in preparation for one of my adult book club discussions about it. It gets even better when experienced a second time. What a fabulous book!! Augustus and Hazel will be characters who stay with me for a long time to come.
Divergent -- This was another reread. For me rereads can be soothing, and they work better for me sometimes when I'm pressed for time, and don't want to get involved with new characters. But the real reason I reread this was because Insurgent was coming out May 1, and I wanted to refresh my memory.
Insurgent -- I loved it. Veronica Roth has a true gift for the Dystopian novel. I am looking forward to hearing her speak at our local independent bookstore on June 7. (as a side note, that's how I originally met Lauren Oliver and fell in love with her Delirium series).
Castle of Shadows by Ellen Renner -- I had an ARC, but this book came out March 20. I haven't heard a lot of conversation about it, but I truly believe that this is a book children will love. Mysterious disappearance of the Queen, and now the King has gone crazy, which leave Princess Charlie in the care of a very nasty housekeeper. She is given little to eat, often locked in her room, and punished frequently (is even shot at several times). What child won't love the idea of Princess Charlie rebelling against this tyranny?!! And then there is the bigger problem of Princess Charlie joining true rebels who might not have her father's best interest at heart. Intrigue abounds in Castle of the Shadows!! Please join Kellee and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts, who are the cohosts of this wonderful Monday event! I love finding out what others are reading, and start planning my next week's reading using some of the participants ideas.
I have read the adult Racing In The Rain-very good & am in the middle of Divergent. Glad to hear you like this series. I loved The Fault In Our Stars & agree that those two main characters are lovely. It isn't a sad book at all really, which surprised me. Thanks for the other titles too, Karen. Nice to hear from you!
ReplyDeleteThe Fault in our Stars was such a wonderful book - I've set it aside for my more mature sixth graders, and they've loved it. An unusual book, with two unforgettable main characters.
ReplyDeleteoh, Castle of Shadows looks good! I hadn't heard of it before. Thanks for introducing me to it!
ReplyDeleteRacing In the Rain has been recommended to me several times and I haven't gotten around to it yet. Fault in Our Stars is on my TBR right now, too. So much to read, so little time!
ReplyDeleteGreat reading week! Impressed :)
ReplyDeleteI have been hearing both great and mediocre things about Insurgent- I cannot wait to read it.
The Fault in our Stars is a piece of brilliance- I am glad you enjoyed it.
Happy reading this week :)
The original version of Racing in the Rain is much better. The conflict makes more sense in the original version because they took away a really important part of the story when creating the kid version.
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