Gordon Korman's The Hypnotists is Action Packed

Frequent visitors to Literate Lives know that I'm a big Gordon Korman fan, in fact, if there was a Gordon Korman fan club I'd be a card carrying member with the secret decoder ring and knowledge of a secret handshake, that's how big a fan I am!  I have liked everything he has written and I know when it has his name on it, kids are going to love it too.  His latest, The Hypnotists, is no exception, it gets you from the start and mesmerizes to the end.  It also leaves you wanting more, which I'm sure we'll get because that's how Gordon rolls.


Jax Opus seems to be just a normal 12 year old middle schooler, dealing with the usual middle schooler issues.  There is one small difference, people are drawn to him and want to do whatever will make him happy.  Oh yeah, and his eyes, his eyes which seem to change colors depending on his mood.  Two events lead Jax to start believing he might have some special ability.  The first is during a basketball game when the best player in the league seemingly does whatever Jax suggest he do.  The second comes during a school field trip when he controls a hypnotist on stage.

Turns out the hypnotist has connections to a man named Elias Mako and the next thing the Opus family knows, Jax is being recruited for a special school for special kids with special abilities.  Turns out, Jax is "mind bender" meaning he has the ability to enter another person's mind and control their actions without them knowing it.  As it turns out he comes from a long line of super mind benders on both sides so he is like a super mind bender.

All of this leads to trouble, with a villain who wants to use the power for evil world domination and the troop of misfit mind benders called the Sandman Guild who are trying really hard not to take advantage of their special gift.  Classic evil versus bad, but trying really hard to be good, stuff.  I loved it!

As usual, Gordon Korman writes in a style that is very kid friendly.  The kid characters in his books are all regular kids with a bit of twist, but the twist is done so that even that is believable.  The adventure and action keep you on the edge of the seat and just when you think you have it figured out...you don't.  I'll be recommending this to all of my 4th and 5th graders and some better 3rd grade readers.  It's just good fun!

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? - Aug. 6

I visited our local independent children's bookstore, Cover to Cover, on Friday, and had the chance to browse all their new purchases.  There were a ton of nonfiction books available; it makes me happy to see so much good nonfiction being done right now (but that's a post for a later time).  However, I did walk away with 10 great NF books; one has already made my list below.  Here is what I read in the past two weeks:

MIDDLE GRADE CHAPTER BOOKS

 *****Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead - Because I think this book is incredibly special, I'm not going to say much about it here. Like When You Reach Me, things aren't always what they seem and I don't want to ruin that for anyone. I will share my favorite two sentences from the book, though:
"It means you're not alone. No matter what."
Powerful stuff! And I would love to talk to someone who has read the book, so please let me know!!

Horten's Incredible Illusions - I just read Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms this summer and really enjoyed it. This sequel did a good job tying up some loose ends for me. Once again magic is the centerpiece of the story, but the importance of knowing what you value and who your friends are is important as well. I'm glad it's coming out in September so that students who enjoyed the first book will be able to grab the second one right away.

Ungifted - Read this ARC recently, and the actual publish date can't come too soon!! (Sept. 2012) Gordon Korman is at his best in this book, as we follow the adventures of a huge trouble maker who is just an average guy, but accidentally ends up in a gifted school with kids he initially views as geeks. He is "hiding out" there as he tries to avoid the superintendent of schools after causing massive damage during one of his many pranks. Kids will love the different narrators of the story, and will love how an average guy can make all the difference in the world to a group of incredibly talented students. Must read! 

PICTURE BOOKS

Oh No!  Not Again! - written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Dan Santat - funny stuff!

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors - For the past few years, I've had many Muslim children in my classroom, but no books that represented them within our library, I'm embarrassed to say. This is a lovely book that will serve as a great conversational starter about many different cultures.

Creepy Carrots - This book is due out in about a month - hysterical!! Kids will love it!  A fun picture book that allows for some inferring while having a blast enjoying the pictures.

Rocket Writes a Story -  If I taught primary grades, I would most definitely have this in my writing mentor tubs for kids who are stuck with what to write. Really enjoyed this.  Rocket is stuck with his story, but when given some wonderful words, is able to craft something meaningful to him.

ADULT READS

Fireproof by Alex Kava

Catch Me by Lisa Gardner (a favorite author of mine)

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.

New Gordon Korman is a Book Fair Showoff

We're getting ready to set up our second book fair of the year, we always use Scholastic, and they always include some special price hard cover books. The first year I was in the library the book was Swindle by Gordon Korman. It was one of my very first book reviews at Literate Lives and I followed it up about a year later with a review of Zoobreak and about a year later with a review of Framed. Over the years these reviews have received a lot of attention so I figured why not, I'll review the latest installment in the series, Showoff.

Luthor the guard dog is the featured character in this episode. Griffin is spending six weeks with his friend Ben while Mr. and Mrs. Bing are in Europe trying to sell Mr. Bing's inventions. The one rule in place is "No Plans!" Of course Griffin agrees, but when the kids go to the mall to see a grand champion show dog trouble starts.

Samantha the animal lover takes Luthor the doberman and he uncharacteristically charges the stage and injures the champion pooch. Samantha's family is sued by the owner and Luthor is dropped off at the pound. That doesn't sit well with Griffin so he bails Luthor out and sets his plan, Operation Doggie Rehab, into motion.

Griffin intends to turn Luthor into a grand champion show dog to raise the money to pay the lawsuit to help Samantha get her dog back to keep. As usual parts of the plan work, parts don't and Griffin and Ben get mixed up with some interesting characters, most notably world famous dog trainer Dmitri Trebezhov who has dropped out of the dog game to protest the treatment of the show dogs.

The chapters on Dmitri's training techniques were some of my favorites and had me laughing out loud in spots. I think kids are really going to enjoy them too. This installment of the Swindle series doesn't have quite as much action as the other three, and the team doesn't get totally engaged until close to the end, but it's still fun. Gordon Korman has a way in all of his books of drawing the reader in and keeping them. Whether it's the action, or the characters or the plot twists, he writes books that kids love to read.

I have a feeling that Showoff will be flying off of the book fair shelves.

Titanic series by Korman continues

Back in January, I was lucky enough to get my hands on an ARC of a new series Gordon Korman was launching about the Titanic, titled aptly enough, Titanic. It was to be a trilogy of books. Since that time, Book One, Unsinkable, came out in May. Recently Book Two, Collision Course, arrived in bookstores on August 1, and Amazon is telling me that the final book, S.O.S., came out this past week on September 1.

While I have not gotten the third book yet, the second, Collision Course, picked up with its non-stop action right where the first book left off. We have Irish thugs chasing one of our main characters who also happens to be a stowaway on the Titanic, we have children becoming friends across socioeconomic lines, we have Jack the Ripper possibly onboard and trying to get back to what he likes to do best, we have arrogant captains trying to rush the Titanic to New York, and yes, we have the big ship hitting a huge iceberg.

Like I shared in my first review, this is a book that refuses to let you put it down, even though historically you know what is in store for these travelers. I will be fascinated to read the final book in the trilogy, as I am so invested in some of these children characters, I can't bear that they will suffer the plight that so many others did. My questions heading into the final book will be if Korman keeps it realistic, or if he tries to make it as happily ever after as a disaster can be.

Because I don't want to give much away, I won't review that final book. But I will be introducing this series to my class this Wednesday in a tub with nonfiction books about the Titanic as well. I predict that these books will have long lines of people waiting to read them!! Knowing that, I guess I will need to purchase the final book asap!!

New Books at My House This Week

This was a great week for bringing books home! On Monday I visited Cover to Cover, and as always, came home with far more than I anticipated. Here's a little synopsis of what I brought home:

• How They Croaked - after my colleague and friend, Tony recommended it as a fun read, one to which he thought boys would be receptive, I decided it was a must buy.
• Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer series - another recommendation to me. I watched one of my students this past year be engrossed while reading the first book in the series, and he said I needed to read it. After reading both books, I liked the second book much more than the first. These books will be good additions to our classroom library.
  
• I read and reviewed an ARC of the new Titanic series by Gordon Korman a while ago. I know students are always fascinated by this topic. I needed to buy a copy of the first since I only had an ARC, but while at Cover to Cover scored an ARC of the 2nd book in the series. My 20 year old daughter had read the first one and loved it; she immediately read the second and said it was great.
• The other book she grabbed from my pile was Divergent. She finished it in the course of 2 days. She loved it! I can't wait until I get a block of time to read it.
• Another ARC I got was Pie by Sarah Weeks (So B. It). In addition to great characters, there are some very yummy pie recipes. Not a book to read if you're craving sweets!
• Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading - currently reading this and am very amused so far.
  
• Real Revision by Kate Messner. I can't wait to dive into this book!! **and this was the only book I meant to get on this day - oh well!**

On Friday, I had an itch for more books, even though I hadn't read all of the above. So, I headed to the local branch of our public library, and found some books I'm very excited to read:

• Basketball Belles - after serving on the NFPB panel for the Cybils the past two years, I always have an eye out for new nonfiction picture books, so I added this to my bag.
• The Emerald Atlas - a friend recently asked me if I knew anything about this book. I honestly didn't at the time. So , when I saw it on the "new book" shelf at the library, I realized this was the book she must have been talking about. I'll be interested to see if it's a fantasy I enjoy (not a huge fantasy fan).
• The Luck of the Buttons - intrigued by the flap information. Takes place in the 1929s in a small Iowa town. Published this past April.
• The Summer Before Boys by Nora Raleigh Baskin. A book by the author of Anything But Typical -- of course I picked it up! :)
• Angel in My Pocket by Ilene Cooper - an angel and a mystery coin. Had to have it.
  
• Noah Barleywater Runs Away - a title I've heard mentioned by several people. Thought I'd take a look myself.
• the pile of adult books - those are just my "don't have to think too hard" books :)

So much reading to do! I can't wait! Any new books at your house?

Gordan Korman Launches a New Series

I recently had the good fortune to read an ARC of Gordon Korman's new series (possibly a trilogy) called Titanic. Book One of the Titanic series is called Unsinkable.

Korman has done a fantastic job blending historical events with characters and stories the reader won't soon forget. In that way, Unsinkable reminded me of the movie, Titanic. I got so involved with the characters in the movie, I kept thinking, "Oh this time, they'll miss that iceberg!" The same happened to me with the characters in this book.

I am so invested in the lives of the characters in Unsinkable, I can't wait for Book Two to see what happens next, even when I know full well what the final outcome will be. Darn it! I really care about these characters. Korman has done a fantastic job fleshing out very believeable characters (even if sometimes stereotypical). There is the slightly spoiled elitist rich girl, the stowaway running for his life because he picked the wrong person's pocket, the Irish gangster and his hoodlums (ok, I don't care quite so much about them), the girl whose mother was a sufferagate and recently asked to leave England, the boy whose father worked in the bowels of the ship feeding the steam engines of the Titanic, and Thomas Andrews, the designer of the Titanic.

In each chapter, the storyline jumps from one character to another which results in quite a few cliffhangers. I literally couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next for each of the characters. And don't even get me started about the one surprise that happens at the end of the first book. Mysteries, secrets, and intrigue abound on-board the Titanic.

Gordon Korman has written a series that most definitely will hold water with readers!! Unfortunately, the publication date for Unsinkable is not until May 1, 2011. Mark it on your calendar! It can't get here soon enough.

Other books in the Titanic series:

Book Two: Collision Course

Book Three: S.O.S.

The 39 Clues: Maze of Bones

It's book fair time again, and I'm looking for "that" book, like Swindle last year, that will capture the kids' imaginations and fly off of the shelves. My first read from the fair is The 39 Clues: Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan.

For those of you who have been living under a rock, like me, and are totally unfamiliar with concept of The 39 Clues, a brief explanation based on my limited research. There are 10 books planned for the series, all written by different children's authors. Book two comes out in December and is written by Gordon Korman, so they are using quality talent to create this series.

There are a couple of commercial tie ins that at first made me nervous, but after looking at them I've changed my mind. First there are decks of collector cards, each book at the book fair comes with six included. They puzzles, background info on characters, spy devices and other fun things. In addition, each has a code number that can be entered on a website, which brings me to the second feature of the series. Readers can log onto The 39 Clues website, set up an account and begin collecting the cards on line. It appears that some of them will cause things to happen on the site and help readers solve even more puzzles. After my initial unease with these two features, I came to the realization that meeting kids as readers in their comfort zone just might work! After all, isn't that what we as teachers strive for? Finding things that will get kids interested in reading? This series does that a so many levels. I was able to log onto the site and create an account. Loads of fun activities, some that involve reading, others that are just game type things, but all entertaining and designed to get the kids into the books. It reminded me a lot of the old Carmen Sandiego game, only updated and more sophisticated.

As for the book, I liked it. I've not read any other Rick Riordan stuff before this, so I have nothing of his to compare it to, but the plot is catchy and the action non-stop. It involves the orphaned Cahills, Amy and Dan. When their grandmother, Grace Cahill, dies, they discover that they are part of the Cahill family that can trace its ancestry to just about every great, historical figure in the history of the world. This book revolves around their famous relative, Ben Franklin. After the funeral, many of the existing Cahills are invited to the reading of the will. Each member is given the choice of taking a million dollars, or going on an elaborate scavenger hunt of 39 clues (hence the title) to discover the thing that made the Cahills the most important family in the history of the world. Of course, Amy and Dan take the challenge, and along with their reluctant au pair, the begin an around the world challenge. I was reminded of the National Treasure movies which have been very popular recently.

Because Amy and Dan are most closely related to Grace, the other dastardly villains try to follow them and eliminate them from the challenge. The threats are real, but the kids manage to escape every time with only minor injuries. For an adult reading it, the book takes some far fetched turns, and reality must be suspended at times, but for kids it will be a fun exciting read. I'm excited for some of my students to start the challenge and keep me up to date on what happens on the website when they enter their codes and solve the puzzles. Frankly I can't wait until December to read the next one. This series should be the next big hit.

Check out Franki's "simulblog" at A Year of Reading.