Counting by 7s by Holly Sloan

It is Mark Twain Nominee Monday! 

Here is the Nominee & the discussion questions of the week: 

Counting by 7's 

By: Holly Sloan 

The Story 

Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life . . . until now.
 
Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone. Told from four different viewpoints, Willow must overcome her grief and find a new family. 

Also, check out this great book trailer!

My Thoughts 

This reminded me a lot of the books Wonder and Out of My Mind. Since it exhibits many of the same qualities of these books, I think that is why my tweens are flocking to it.

It is a very popular one at my library, but I have to admit, I had some trouble with this one. I just did not feel like it was realistic at all. I don't want to give too much away, but I wish the author made the character go through more of a struggle. I just felt like everything worked out too perfectly, but maybe after all the great reviews I read on this I expected too much & it didn't even out!



Please don't get me wrong though, I do think that there are some worth while themes in the book that are important. For instance, I think a lot of tweens enjoy this book because it hits on the aspect of not fitting in. It also touches on how everyone tries to put people into categories and giving them labels.




 The majority of this book is how the characters deal with these struggles. I think this is something that many of our tweens deal with on a daily basis. In this aspect, I do feel like this makes this book a worth while read for this age group. I think it is especially important to us as educators to use this book in our discussions to try & open door to discuss some of these feeling and hardships.

Discussion Questions 

What makes Willow different?

Is Dell a good counselor? Why does he take interest in Willow?

Pattie does not have much to offer Willow. Why does she agree to take Willow in? Is she the right person to take care of Willow?

After the social worker does the house check, Patti says: “What we expect rarely occurs; what we don’t expect is what happens.” What does she mean by this? Is this true?

Why did they think Willow cheated on her test? Could Dell have changed their mind? Why didn’t he? Why didn’t Willow tell her parents?

How does gardening & running help Willow heal?

Mai believes that her acorn is lucky & her mom, Patti, believes that wearing red finger nail polish is lucky. Do you think that it was luck that changed their situation around? Does luck exist or is it what you make of your situation?

How does Willow change the people around her? How does Willow change throughout the course of the book? How does she address her grief throughout the book?

What is significant about the number 7 in the book?

Willow compares her life to a plant. How is her life like a plant? Willow tries to not set down roots. What does this mean? Does end up doing so anyway?

Willow says that giving in is different than giving up. What does she mean by this? Is this true? Willow also says it is impossible to put people in categories (which Dells does) is this true?

Books like this one 

Until next time,

Pamela 

Finding Someplace

Finding Someplace 

By: Denise Lewis Patrick 

Release Date: August 4, 2015

Pages: 224 

Audience:  Grade 4 and up 

The Story 

In August of 2005, all Reesie can think about is her upcoming thirteenth birthday. It is going to be the best birthday in New Orleans! She has been preparing for it for weeks by sewing the perfect birthday outfit. As her birthday arrives, Hurricane Katrina bares closer and closer to New Orleans. After realizing that the family will be directly hit by the massive hurricane, Reesie’s family cancels her party. Her mom (a nurse) and her father (a policeman), are called into work. Before they go, they arrange for Reesie to leave the city of New Orleans with her uncle. Reesie goes to sleep and waits for her uncle to pick her up the next day. When she wakes up the next morning, her uncle calls to tell her that he is having trouble getting to her. In the rush of canceling her party and leaving for the storm, Reesie forgot to cancel the order on her birthday cake. As she waits for her uncle she decides to pick her cake up  at Ms. Martine’s house.  While she is there, her uncle calls to let her know that he cannot come. Reesie must weather the storm with Ms. Martine.

As the storm hits, Ms. Martine tells Reesie about her life to help keep her mind off the storm. As quickly as it came, it ends. When there is a knock at the door, Reesie expects it to be her parents, but it is her friend’s older brother, Dre, and his new wife with bad news. There is water coming. Reesie and her new friends climb to the roof where a boat comes by to save them. Reesie briefly goes to the Superdome where she is mugged. Luckily, her police officer father has been looking for her & finds her there.  With the mass destruction in their neighborhood, there is no going back home. Thankfully, Reesie’s mom has family in New Jersey. Both Reesie and her mother move to New Jersey while her dad stays in New Orleans to rebuild. Even though the hurricane is over with, Reesie faces PSD. Will home ever be the same? Reesie learns that home is not the place you live, but it is the people that you are with that make it home.

Strengths

I had trouble putting this book down! I really became invested in the characters. I especially love Ms. Martine! I wish she was in the story more. I respect the author’s ability to create such interesting supporting characters. I was interested in following all of them to see what happened. In middle grade books, this is rare & it really made the book come alive for me.

Weaknesses

The ending did not feel complete to me. I did like that Reesie went back to New Orleans, but I still felt like there was a lot of unanswered questions like what will her family do now? Perhaps the author left the ending this way to portray how evacuees felt, but it still felt incomplete.

I especially wanted more with Reesie’s relationship with Orlando. I felt like this part could have either been taken out of the book or there could have been more added to it to help tie up some loose ends with this new relationship. Perhaps Dre and his wife could have visited Reesie with Orlando to make it flow better?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

For the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, this was a great tribute to people of New Orleans & it gives a wonderful timeline of the events to keep its memory alive.

Other Resources 

Facts for Kids 

Survivor Stories- 10 Years Later

More Books Like This One 

- Pamela


     

The Detective's Assistant

The Detective's Assistant 

By: Kate Hannigan 

Release Date: April 17, 2015

Audience: Grades 4 and up 

Pages: 368 

"And suddenly I understood what it meant to have faith in someone. Faith wasn't about evidence and eyewitnesses, like with Aunt Kitty and Mr. Pinkerton's other detectives. Faith was something you knew inside- from your heart all the way to the tip of your toes."


The Story 

From Goodreads 

Eleven-year-old Nell Warne arrives on her aunt's doorstep lugging a heavy sack of sorrows. If her Aunt Kate rejects her, it's the miserable Home for the Friendless. Her aunt is immediately hesitant to take Nell in. Nell's father killed Kate's husband. 

Luckily, canny Nell makes herself indispensable to Aunt Kate...and not just by helping out with household chores. For Aunt Kate is the first-ever female detective employed by the legendary Pinkerton Detective Agency. And Nell has a knack for the kind of close listening and bold action that made Pinkerton detectives famous in Civil War-era America. With huge, nation-changing events simmering in the background, Nell uses skills new and old to uncover truths about her past and solve mysteries in the present. It is up to Nell solve the biggest mystery of all and to find out what happened to her uncle and prove her father's innocence. 

Based on the extraordinary true story of Kate Warne, this fast-paced adventure recounts feats of daring and danger...including saving the life of Abraham Lincoln! 

Strengths

Two things I liked about the story:

1. The main character, Nell, has a African American best friend.  As they write each other throughout the book, they discuss the racial issues, underground railroad, and abolition. This is such a sneaky way to teach kids about these issues!

2. It brings to light the history of Kate Warne & gender roles. The book also covers how Kate Warne saved Abraham Lincoln from an assassination attempt. I loved that it highlighted this. Girls can do anything!

Weaknesses 

 My biggest concern is that I felt like it was too long for most middle graders. This would have been better if it covered one or two mystery cases. My middle graders tend to like things that are about
150 -250 pages.  If it is anything more, their little eyes go big and they ask for something else.

With this, I think it will only appeal to my eager reading historical fiction lovers. Unfortunately, there is just not a lot of these kids.

Overall, I do feel like this is a face paced and exciting read.

I will try my best to sell this one to my library kids.


Extras 



Interview with the Author

Discussion Questions


Non- Fiction Book Pairings 










Pamela 

What We Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World

What We Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World 

By: Henry Clark 

The Story 

While waiting for their bus to come, Freak, River, and Fiona find a mysterious couch. As they sit down on the couch to relax before their bus comes, they find a crayon and a sock in the couch cushions. The next day, Fiona reports that she looked the crayon up online, and it is worth a lot of money! The kids agree to sell it online & split the money. As they post this ad up online, the kids unknowingly become involved in a plot to take over the world. Freak, River, and Fiona, must now try to stop invaders from another world from taking over the world before it is too late.

My Thoughts for Reader's Advisory 

This science fiction novel is one of a kind. One thing that sets this book apart is its political humor. It has a little bit of everything for both kids and adults. If you do pick it up, I would recommend going into it with an open mind. Like the title, this story line is a bit over the top. I had trouble with some of these outlandish plot lines, but I do see many of my tween boys enjoying this book. 

Discussion Questions 

What We Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World

Discussion Questions

1. What is significant about the crayon? Even though the crayon is small, it caused a lot to happen! Has there ever been a time when something big happened over something small in your life?

2. Do you think River, Freak, and Fiona would be friends even if they did not go on this adventure? How did their friendship change over the course of the book?

3. Cell phones were used to control characters in the book. What message do you think the author is trying to send with this? Do you think that cell phones control us?

4. There is a lot of futuristic technologies in this book. If you could have any of the technologies from this book, which one would it be and why?

5. In this book, a parallel world exists. If you could create a world of your own, what would be in it?  

6. Who is the leader of this group? Describe some characteristics of a good leader. Can everyone be a leader in their own way?

7. Why doesn’t Alf tell the kids everything when he first meets them? Should the kids have trusted him? Would you? Why or why not?

8. At the end of the story, River sees his parents, who died several years before. Do you think he really saw them?

9. What will happen to River, Freak, and Fiona now? Do you think that Edward Disin is really gone?

10. In the book, the couch can teleport. If you could teleport anywhere, where would you go?

More Books Like This One 

Until next time, 

Pamela

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

The Testing
By: Joelle Charbonneau

Goodreads Synopsis:

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one and the same? 

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career. 

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one. 

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust

Review:

I'll be honest, this was not a book I would have picked up on my own. My first thought after reading the summary was, "This is going to be a bad knock-off of the Hunger Games and Divergent." "The Testing" was nominated for our 6th-8th grade state award, so I read it to discuss on an outreach visit to an intermediate school. After reading the book, I can verify that my initial reaction was correct for the most part. However, I do think teens who are still dystopian fans will enjoy this one.

Cia and Tomas are exceedingly flat and, frankly, boring characters. I could not connect with either character and had difficulty forming a good picture both her and Tomas in my mind. In addition, their romance has little substance and is poorly executed. This criticism; however, stems from my desire for all books to be well written and will probably not even be noticed by the teens. The plot was a little disturbing, but gentler than the Hunger Games. One of the issues I have with this book is that it cannot stand on its own. There is no way to read it without comparing it back to Hunger Games and Divergent. I did enjoy the survival/living off the land aspect of the plot. In addition, the plot progression kept me engaged for the most part. It was just interesting enough to give me the fortitude to finish "The Testing" and is the only reason I gave this two stars, instead of one. 



How do you weigh in on the dystopian argument? Are you a hardcore fan or just ready for something fresh?

~Alyssa

The Terrible Two

The Terrible Two 

By: Mac Barnett 

Release Date; January 13, 2015

Audience: Ages 8 and up 

Pages: 218

The Story 

Miles Murphy (the school’s best prankster) is forced to move to  the town of Yawnee Valley. Since it is a boring town, Miles Murphy expects school to be nothing less. He will easily be the school's best prankster in no time. As he arrives to school on his first day, he quickly finds he not the only prankster. Someone has blocked the school’s entrance with the principal's car! This sets into motion a hilarious battle of wits between Miles and the mysterious prankster. As they try to out prank each other, they quickly learn that sometimes it is better to work together.

The Book Trailer 

Strengths 

This is a hilarious book that it is filled with entertaining pictures. I found its humor to be witty and to appeal to all ages. I even thought it was clever that the author sprinkled facts about cows throughout the book. What a great idea for a book pairing!

Weaknesses 

This was fluffy and pretty predictable. The only thing I really didn’t like was the adults vs.kids aspect, but perhaps this is some of the appeal to kids. 

Overall, I think this one will be great for fans of Big Nate and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It is one fast and funny read!

 More Books Like This: 

   

   

What are some of your favorite books for tween boys? 

- Pamela 

Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody

Mark Twain Nominee Monday! 

Here is the nominee and discussion questions of the week: 

Will in Scarlet 

By Matthew Cody 

The Story

Will Shackley is the son of a lord.  While his father is away helping King Richard the Lionheart fight the crusades, Will prepares to take over as heir to the Shackley household. Then the unthinkable happens, his father is captured, and King John is threatening to take over the throne for good. Will’s family is caught in between, and Will is accused of a crime he did not commit. So Will runs away into the forest for safety. There he meets Rob and John Little. As Will befriends these men and becomes a part of a band of bandits named the Merry Men, Will helps Rob become the famous Robin Hood.  

My thoughts 

This book reads more like a historical fiction then a legend, and it is very different take on the story of Robin Hood! In reader's advisory, I would note three things: (1) Maid Marian pretends to be a boy named Much (2) Rob is an alcoholic (3) It contains a lot of violence.  I was expecting a story purely about Robin Hood, but this really is a story about Will and his revenge on King John’s men. In Will’s quest to get revenge, he impacts Rob & Rob changes his ways to become Robin Hood.

Due to this content, in reader’s advisory, I would recommend this to kids 12-and up.  It is an excellent story, but due to its violence and the character’s excessive drinking, I am going to skip this particular one for my book discussion outreach to our elementary schools. 

Although I do want to note that these elements are natural for this story. It is a story about outlaws after all! :) So please don't let these notes detour you from this book! I just want to note that for the sake of our Missouri Mark Twain Awards & for reader's advisory. 

 I do think that readers who enjoy historical fiction  & legend stories may enjoy this version of Robin Hood.  I thought it was a fun read, and I will be sure to recommend it to my older tweens and teens. It is very action packed!

Have you read Will in Scarlet? What did you think of it? 

Discussion Questions 

The Sheriff tells Will that one must stop doing what he wants & start doing what he has to. What does this mean? Does Will do things because he has to in the book or does Will do more things because he wants to?

When the sheriff comes to take Will away to go to trial, his uncle wants him to escape. Why didn’t Will leave like his uncle wanted him to? Was this the right thing to do?

Rob claims that how you say something is just as important as what you say. What does he mean by this?

Why did Much pretend to be a boy? Do you think that if she was honest with the Merry Men would have accepted her?

Why did Will save the Sheriff at the very end of the book? Should he have left him?

How did Will help Rob to become Robin Hood? How do you think Rob would have turned out without Will’s help?

Do you think that Will’s dad will ever return? If Will got his position back as a nobleman, how do you think he would treat the peasants differently?

Are the Merry Men good people? How are they bad? How are they good?

What do you think happened to Will’s friends (Jenny & his stable friend)? Do you think that Will will ever see them again?

What is significant about Will killing the wolves at the beginning of the story? Why did the author include this into the story?

More Books Like This One 

Until next time, 

Pamela