The Riders of the Pony Express

This is a nonfiction book by Ralph Moody (Little Britches fame) and I LOVE it.  I've read it aloud to my kids twice, which is a rarity for me.  I usually only like to read a book aloud once to share the experience with the kids.  It makes me cry every time at the sheer guts, determination and heroism exhibited by the early riders of the Pony Express.  ***** stars all the way.  Perfect for 5th grade and up, though there is nothing inappropriate for younger ages - I just don't think they'd be as interested.

The Wednesday Wars

By Gary D. Schmidt

LOVED this book.  The main character is 13 year old Holling.  I'm linking to a review HERE.

One of the problems that I often have with literature geared towards middle- and high-schoolers is  the amount of inappropriate content.  Not EVERY middle-schooler is obsessed with sex and using bad language.

The Wednesday Wars does not have any of that!  Go Mr. Schmidt!

The Sign of the Beaver

Kelly recommended The Sign of the Beaver to me and I just finished reading it. It's the story of a young boy who is left to care for his family's house in the deep woods of Maine in the early days of this country. It is a tale of his developing relationship with local Indians. The description of the relationships rings true without getting sentimental. It's a great coming-of-age story for kids, particularly boys, to read.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Because of Kelly's recommendation I recently read The Invention of Hugo Cabret and I really enjoyed it. It is part illustration and part prose. There are frequently many pages in a row that are just pictures and no dialogue. It's a little like a movie inside a book. It's a quick read. I think it took about 2 or 3 hours. It's a story about a boy, Hugo Cabret who attempts to take up his dead father's project of restoring an automaton that Hugo comes to believe will provide him some form of guidance from his father. After reading the book, or even before it, you need to see the video of a functioning automaton. I was amazed to find out that people had constructed what is essentially a robot that performs the complicated task of drawing several different complex drawings. Reading this book was an enjoyable way to spend my Saturday afternoon.

A Long Way From Chicago - Richard Peck

You know you've got a winner when you chuckle throughout the length of a book, sometimes even laugh out loud, but tears prick your eyes as you finish the final paragraph.

Each summer over the nine years of the depression Grandma Dowdel's Chicago-bred grandchildren spend one week visiting Grandma in her sleepy Illinois town. They discover a Grandma they didn't know existed - and experience a few other things along the way including seeing their first dead body!

I don't want to give too much away, because this book is definitely better if you don't know what to expect. Just trust me, it's one you'll want to read

Interworld

I just finished another Neil Gaiman book called Interworld. Actually, he wrote this one with Michael Reaves. This is a fun book and a pretty quick read. It's about a kid who discovers the ability to walk between different dimensions. All the worlds have similarities but vary a bit due to the different decisions people make. The worlds exist on an arc that ranges from worlds ruled by scientific rules to the other end where the worlds are ruled by magical rules. He has to hurry up and figure out how to use his talents before he's captured by people who wants to pull those powers from him. Fun read.

The Graveyard Book

I first read Neil Gaiman's work in high school when he had a comic called Sandman so I was already predisposed to liking him. However, I believe I would have really liked The Graveyard Book anyway. It's really a modern telling of Kipling's The Jungle Book and he readily admits it in his acknowledgments. It's a story of a boy whose family gets murdered in the first pages of the book and as a toddler he escapes to the nearby graveyard by chance. He is taken in by the local ghosts and the mysterious caretaker of the graveyard. The rest of the story is his growing up and learning about his family's murder. The ghosts want to keep him safe in the graveyard; he wants to explore the outside world and avenge his family.

I really enjoyed the book. The beginning is a little tense. The murders aren't described but it is obvious what happened. It's a great coming-of-age story and a fun read. There is no foul language that I can recall. It's one the tweens and older would enjoy.

The Magic Half

The Magic Half is a very quick read. It is the story of Miri who is the middle child stuck between two sets of twins. She feels un-special in comparison to her twin siblings who strike people as unique. While moping one day she finds herself sucked into the past and meets a girl her age who is in desperate need of her help. Now Miri just has to figure out how to help this girl and still be able to get back to her family.

I found this in the local bookstore. It was reviewed and recommended by one of the employees. I thought it was a fun little story but certainly not a classic. There is no particular lesson to be culled here, it's just a quick adventure. My 9 year-old daughter, Brynne, just read the book and she really liked it.

When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me pays direct homage to Madeleine L'engle's "A Wrinkle in Time". It is a quick read and a simple story that involves middle school kids. The main character, Miranda, begins to receive mysterious notes that appear to be preparing her for something that will take place in the future. The author of the notes is attempting to elicit her help in doing one thing and it seems like an odd request.

The story takes place in New York City and some of the surrounding characters are strange but there isn't anything particularly disturbing. One character, a homeless man, appears to be mentally unstable but doesn't do anything that would frighten a young reader.

I enjoyed the story. It's not a classic in the sense that I would take it with me to an island but it's a 3 star time-filler read if your child is looking for something to read.