The Tail of Emily Windsnap

The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler. Published 2003.

Now that vampires, werewolves and zombies are losing their thrill, the new fad is the dark side of mermaids. This book, and the rest in the series, could benefit from this renewed attention, but it came before the new dark shift and is instead a relatively, light-hearted take on the mermaid world.

Emily Windsnap has never been swimming due to her mother's dire fear of water. While entering Middle School, she finally gets her wish to take a swim class and soon discovers that she is part mermaid when her legs freeze up and turn into a tail. She is afraid to be found out for the "freak" she is, but is happy to discover her long lost home of the sea. She soon makes a mermaid friend, Shona, who helps her discover the truth of her family and help her mom to remember where her father went and why.

A good choice for reluctant female readers who want something a step up from Beginning Chapter books, but may not be ready for heavier fare. A similar fantasy world is presented to that of the Harry Potter classics, but not as wonderfully stylized or epic.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading level: Grade 4
Genre: fantasy, friendship
First in series.

Comparable titles: Harry Potter, Philippa Fisher series

Book connections: Mermaids, Beach Towns, Houseboats, Mythology of Neptune

Harriet the Spy

Harriet the Spy by Louse Fitzhugh. Published 1964.

The other day, I read that Harriet the Spy broke ground on the way children's literature was written. There had never been a character quite like Harriet before who spoke the way she spoke (basically...not so nicely) and who didn't really grow or change by the end of the novel. This gave me a new perspective when I read the book this time around. I remember my mom giving me this book to read when I was younger and it was one of my favorites because I, too, kept a notebook full of secrets. I remembered her tomato sandwiches and how her friends discovered her notebook, but nothing else. What I found interesting from an adult perspective was, in fact, the way she did not learn a lesson by the end but rather embraced her gossipy nature. Very interesting.

Harriet lives in Manhattan and spends her time spying on her neighbors, her friends and enemies and anyone else who crosses her path. After her long-time nurse leaves to get married and after her friends discover her observations, she heads on a downward spiral of tantrums and depression. But Harriet stays the same and finds she cannot stop herself from her prodigious note taking. Eventually, her friends will come around.

Interest level: Grades 5-8 Reading level: Grade 4
Genre: realistic fiction, humor

Comparable titles: The Great Gilly Hopkins, Judy Moody, Because of Winn Dixie

Book Connections: a play made of food characters, Observation Journals, School Newspaper, tomato sandwiches with cake and milk in the afternoon

Love, Aubrey

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur. Published 2009.

One of my students had been telling me that this was her favorite book and she recently donated a copy to the library, so I thought it was as good a time as any to read it.

This one surprised me in that its good to be reminded that sometimes younger students enjoy sad books where bad things happen because it lets them live out a sort of fantasy that allows them to explore deeper emotions and wonder about things without the threat of those things really needing to happen.

In this story, eleven year old Aubrey Priestly is found by her grandmother living alone after her mother abandons her. We soon find out that her mother has ran away because she can't deal with her feelings of having been the driver in a car accident that killed her husband and her younger daughter. Aubrey moves to Vermont with her grandmother and must not only deal with her grief and emotions over the loss of her family but also the questions that surround how her mother could abandon her on top of all that. Step by step, Aubrey makes her way back to the world of the living with the help of her grandmother and her new friend, the next-door-neighbor Bridget, and Bridget's family.

The story is told with letters written by Aubrey, first person narrative and flashbacks to times with her family. It is very melancholy and emotional, but there is hope for Aubrey and her family, making it a tale about growing up, but under very specific circumstances.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading level: Grade 4
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Drama

Comparable titles: Songs for a Teenage Nomad

Book connections: Loss of a family member, counseling, letter writing, Betta fish

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. Published 1938. Newbery Honor.

I was intrigued by this book because it is a classic and a Newbery Honor book, yet I hadn't heard about it until I saw a poster for the Jim Carrey movie. I thought it was cute and a good read for all those kids out there interested in penguins. It's like the novel version of 365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromenthal.

Mr. Popper has always wanted to travel, but never has. He's especially interested in Antartica and the explorations of Admiral Drake. Because of his fan mail, Admiral Drake sends Mr. Popper his very own penguin from the South Pole. After finding his penguin depressed, they get a lady penguin and soon they have 10 baby penguins to care for as well. Finding that they are easy to train, the Popper family soon hits the road with their traveling act, Popper's Performing Penguins. It is a sensation but traveling with penguins also has its drawbacks such as ruining other performers' acts and ending up in jail. With a visit from Admiral Drake, Mr. Popper's dream is fulfilled and the penguins won't stay in the entertainment business forever.

This book is obviously dated with things like the radio being the main form of entertainment in the home, the traveling act is a vaudeville-esque production and the language will be hard for younger readers because certain phrases or terms aren't used anymore. But it's also a light-hearted fun book and at the heart of it are the penguins getting in to trouble which any kid can understand.

Interest level: Grade 3-6 Reading level: Grade 5

Comparable title: 365 Penguins, 21 Balloons

Book Connections: study of penguins from around the world, how they eat and live, what's true or not true about their behavior from the book, Antartica, Explorers, Early performers in America

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Published 1964.

I launched a One School, One Book campaign at my school this last month and I chose this title for the kick-off campaign, knowing it was a classic and appropriate for most age groups. I wanted to re-read it since I hadn't read it since I was little.

Of course, Dahl never disappoints. What actually shocked me in re-reading it was how close the second movie adaptation was to the original. I think the first movie becomes so ingrained in our brains that we don't think to question it. In fact, I kept expecting Charlie to do something wrong because in the first movie he drinks the floating soda. It actually made me much happier that he doesn't because the fact that Charlie does something wrong, muddles the whole story line that an obedient, good child gets the factory. In fact, my favorite line from the Johnny Depp version is actually straight out of the book. I was so happy to discover this.

Anyway, this is the story of Charlie Bucket who gets a golden ticket to be one of five children to go inside Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. After a slew of horrible mishaps, the four other miserable children are slowly removed from the factory by no one's fault but their own. Full of humor and candy and strange magical constructions, fifty years later, this book is a classic for a reason.

Interest level: Grade 3-6 Reading level: Grade 5 (I can't say I trust these ratings as I think this is easier to read, language-wise, than Dagger Quick but it has 5.9 while that had 4.2...interesting.)

Comparable titles: The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull, The Candymakers by Wendy Mass

Book connections: squirrels, gum, chocolate, factories, writing songs

Dagger Quick

Dagger Quick by Brian Eames. Published 2011.

I had read a few favorable reviews of this book and the cover definitely drew me in, but I have to say, I was not impressed. This was the book equivalent to a blockbuster movie staring Vin Diesel, in that, the action never stopped and the ante kept being raised, but nothing really happened...if that makes sense. That is my positive assessment of the book. With some kids enjoying thrills over character development, I think students could like this selection, but I didn't.

Christopher Wheale, otherwise known as Kitto, ends up on board a pirate ship captained by his uncle in hunt of spices, treasure and the return of his younger brother and his stepmom. Kitto refuses to let his club foot stop him from rescuing his family or living the life of a pirate, but the privateer ship captained by a Black-Hearted Morris is in pursuit to catch up with Captain Quick and find the bounty first.

Sounds like good pirate fun, but it wasn't. I never felt invested in the characters. The point of view switches between characters but there is no clear shift until after the fact making it a confusing read. The action keeps rising but it doesn't feel warranted, just to rise for the sake of it. Because I never felt attached to the characters and the point of view changes, I felt like I never really understood what was going on or why they had to do whatever it is they had to do next. In the end, I just scanned the last few chapters...which leads us to the end.

Apparently, they're trying to get a series going, but if not, worst ending ever. One character is left on the pirate ship with no clue to his fate, we never really know whats up with the spices/treasures, we know they're on the right island but don't know how they're getting off it. I mean, obviously, there is going to be a follow up, but this just made me mad, cause I read as long as I did thinking there would be some resolution. Instead, they jumped the shark, literally.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading level: Grade 4 (I also don't agree with this as the language is rather old school to sound like a real pirate book--Grade 6 would be a better assessment)

Comparable titles: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, Larklight

Book connections: Pirate lore and history, Geography lessons, information about Congenital TEV (club foot)

The Name of this Book is Secret

The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch. Published 2007.

This is another book that the narrator breaks the divide between what's happening on the page and with the reader. I think this convention is fun for the kids because they really feel involved in the story as well as appreciating the extra added level of humor that comes out of it. Because this is a mystery, the narrator also makes the reader feel complicit in the secret and this adds a level of excitement. I wanted to read this because a lot of the kids in my library are really enjoying it right now.

Cass and Max-Ernest become friends on the schoolyard and bond over the mystery of the Symphony of Smells and the missing magician. Soon their investigating leads them deeper into a clan of evil alchemists that kidnap a fellow student and have plans to eat his brains to keep their horde of death defiers young and beautiful. Cass and Max-Ernest must face their fears and push their bonds of friendship to escape and save their friend.

This story wraps up nicely, but also leaves it open for the series that continues on. The mystery isn't too predictable and there is enough suspense and humor to compel readers through the plot. The author seems to imbue the story with some societal commentary that might not stand out to students, but I thought was a bit heavy handed as an adult. For instance there is reference to the Skelton Sisters (Hilton Sisters) and the plot of the Midnight Sun is very celebrity-youth obsession focused. While I thought this was a bit to agenda pushing, I liked the inclusion of synesthesia to the plot and think this is an interesting subject for the book to center around.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Intended reading level: Grade 5
Genre: mystery
First in series of five (currently)

Comparable titles: The Mysterious Benedict Society, Chasing Vermeer

Book Connections: a lesson on senses with art connection, symphonies, magicians, Egyptology