children’s chapter – Page 8

After Zero by Christina Collins

5 stars Middle School/Children’s Chapter

I didn’t even know they had a name for it but it all makes sense after reading this novel, Selective Mutism. An anxiety disorder, where a child speaks in a normal fashion at home (or any comfortable, relaxed, safe environment) but in some social situations, that same child, will refuse to speak. When Elise is unleashed into public schooling, she finds that speaking can get her in trouble and perhaps being silent is the way to go.

Elise had heard stories from Mel, her neighbor about how great school was. Mel talked about school and her “school friends,” so when Elise’s mom quit homeschooling her, Elise was excited to finally be able to go to middle school.

Unfortunately, school turned out not to be as much fun as she thought. It wasn’t long before Elise found herself in hot water. School was a new social situation for Elise and she didn’t know the rules. She wasn’t hurting her peers on purpose but no one had told her the etiquette and now, Elise decided it was just easier to not say anything. It was better to be quiet than to say the wrong thing so, off went her voice and on, went her tally marks in her book.

I could feel the stress as Elise struggled with dodging answering the questions that were addressed in the classroom at school. She knew the answers yet to answer them would create a tally in her book, the book that she felt needed to be blank. Even when her peers addressed her or harassed her for her silence, she felt safe under the cover of her book. She wanted no tally marks, and every day she worked towards that goal.

I liked that she didn’t run back into the safe arms of homeschooling and that she continued to try other things at school, she wasn’t a quitter. There’s a bit of fantasy in the book as Elise becomes intrigued by an object at school. I thought this gave her something else to focus on while she was there. I think this book is marvelous and I feel that Christina Collins did an excellent job explaining this disorder.

Nightbooks by J.A. White

5 stars Middle School/ Upper Elementary

I loved listening to this audio. It was like listening to stories within a story. I thought some of the stories that Alex told were just a good or better than the main story. There were times that I found myself crackling and laughing this sinister laugh as I listened to this audio, for the witch would make her appearance and she would shake things and of course, that would affect me too. There were a few twists in this novel too which I didn’t see coming. Such an enjoyable novel to listen to, one that the whole family could get involved in.

She lures them in, she knows exactly what entices them and then, when the door closes, they are hers. There’s no way out, at least not in the traditional sense and so they’re stuck.

Alex is lured into the apartment on his way down to the basement, for he was on a mission that he hoped would change his life. But now? His life is changed and he’s glad that he didn’t make it down to the incinerator because he needs his journals, those pages have his stories on them and he needs them now, more than ever.

Witch Natacha says she needs to hear Alex’s stories, his scary stories each night and so, she makes him write a new one every day. Natacha says she enjoys them but in reality, it’s really not her that needs these stories but Alex better keep the stories coming if he’s going to make it out of her apartment alive.

Alex meets Yasmin inside the witch’s apartment for she’s been trapped there for a while. Alex is determined to escape but Yasmin tells Alex to stop talking like that. The cat will tell the witch what he hears and you never know what the witch will then do to them. Alex is determined to escape yet he has to spend his days writing stories in the apartment, the apartment that is charmed by magic.

This was an excellent story, I really enjoyed the audio and hated to take it back to the library.

Far Away by Lisa Graff

4.5 stars Middle School/Children’s chapter

I thought this was a sweet book and as CJ got swept away, I was hoping this girl’s journey wouldn’t end in a disaster.

I enjoyed the idea that CJ (12) and her aunt contacted CJ’s mother’s on CJ’s birthday. As a medium, CJ’s aunt had the ability to connect with her and CJ looked forward to celebrating her birthday with her mother. Unfortunately, the day arrives when her mother informs them that she can no longer visit them.

After traveling on the road with her aunt for years doing shows, her aunt decides that this lifestyle is probably not the ideal situation for CJ either and enrolls her in a boarding school. She feels it’s time that CJ has a stable lifestyle. You can just imagine how CJ felt about her current situation now. Her world had suddenly come crashing down.

CJ saw no reason for all of this. Why a boarding school? CJ had heard about tethers and spirits and she felt that her mother just needed a tether to keep her connected to the human world, but where was her mother’s tether?

Well, jump aboard on CJ’s journey as she takes you on a ride with Jax as the two of them set off to find this tether. As Jax learns to drive, CJ tries to find her mother’s connection to the human world. On this journey, these two learn more about themselves and each other, a revelation they didn’t know they’d find.

I love CJ’s “signs” as everything seems to fall into place yet Jax sees these “coincidences” popping up just when they need them. They are a fun pair, sometimes pushing each other just enough to make the trip fun. I started to get nervous as some of the events were being led with emotions but in the end, things worked out. The ending was perfect for this novel.

A great novel with a mystery element, friendship and family ties and an all-around entertaining read. I think many upper elementary or middle school readers will enjoy this novel and the characters within it.

The Whispers by Greg Howard

5 stars Children/Middle School

I absolutely got swept away in this children’s book and whether it was the Whispers, the hobgoblin, Riley’s “own condition” or the way Riley tried to unravel the mystery behind his mother’s disappearance, I had Riley’s back. Since his mother’s disappearance, Riley’s life has gone off course and he’s the only one who can get it back where it belongs.

They think Riley knows more about the day his mother disappeared and even though he tries to remember, he can’t remember much about that day. One day she was here and the next day, she had vanished. Riley is determined to solve this mystery and he’s determined to call upon the Whispers, to help him.

He’s been told that these fairies, need a tribute so they can do their magic and Riley is more than happy to provide them with one, if they can magically bring back his mother. Riley and his dog, Tucker are quite the pair and when they go out hunting for the Whispers, my heart melted. It was their anticipation as they got ready to embark on this journey, then it was the hope and the journey itself, as the two of them traveled out together, that swept me away.

Riley is wrestling with many issues besides the disappearance of this mother right now. Things are stacking up and the pile is getting bigger: he’s trying to keep his sheets dry at night, his father is becoming more distant from him, Riley is getting tired of being bullied at school because of his “condition,” and now, he’s been told about the hobgoblin, the one who lives in the trees, where the Whispers live. The Whispers, the only help that Riley feels he has and now, they are shadowed by a hobgoblin?

I really enjoyed this novel a great deal. It was a great mystery, fantasy, and adventure book. I thought it emotional read as Riley dealt with his own feelings and the events in his life. This book actually gave me the shivers a few times as some of the events occurring in it, surprised me. I highly recommend it.

Enemies (Evil Alien Warlord Cat #2) by Johnny Marciano

5 stars Childrens/Middle School Humor

Oh no! Klawde doesn’t have to worry about overthrowing his enemy on his own planet because guess who is on Earth now? Yes, Ffangg! Earth is not big enough for both of these supreme kitties and so, the move is on for one of them to go. Klawde has been training some Earth kitties for his own army but now Ffangg has caused Klawde to rethink his plans.

I liked that in this book we get more of Raj. Raj has a new student in his classroom at school, it is ….Cam! Oh, no! Raj is afraid that his friends will uncover the truth about him from Cam, his former best friend. With a competition at school, Raj has a lot on his mind.

With humor and wit, this series continues to entertain me. I can’t get enough of the feisty Klawde and his bold and spirited attitude for he tells it like-it-is and when he is in his cat mode, I swear he acts like my cat, Charlie. I like the laid-back attitude of Raj and with the introduction of Cam, we got to see another side of Raj. This is a fun, entertaining series.

Endling #2 : The First by Katherine Applegate

5 stars Children’s/ Middle School

I have to thank Byx and his friends for the 3 hours of sleep that I got the other night. When I finally shut off the light early in the morning, I couldn’t get Byx and his journey off my mind so I woke up early grabbed my book light and finished it.

I only had to reread a small section of this book as I got confused with all the different character names and the different places but otherwise, I enjoyed it and I really enjoyed the relationships within it. I thought the novel ended with a small cliffhanger, so yes, I am anxiously awaiting until the next book comes out but I can’t find anything telling me when this is going to occur. I just hope I don’t cry when it does.

This book begins exactly where book one left off at, as we have Byx and his friends out on their journey, searching for more dairnes. This book does a great job of setting up the novel, as it reintroduces the characters and the plot from the previous book. I would suggest reading book one as it will provide a more complete background on the story and will help set the tone but you can just read this book on its own and not be lost.

As the group makes their way, they come upon Razorgulls (you have to love all the creative creatures that are in this series). This is just the first set of such creatures that the friends will have to deal with as they search for more of Byx’s kin. Coming upon a village, they realize that it is ran by natites. The travelers had hoped that they could cruise past this village but the natites aren’t letting them leave until they get what they want. Now it’s up to Byx and his friends to do exactly what the natites want so they can continue on.

I enjoyed how each of them pulled for one another, they backed each other up and they wanted each other to succeed. Each of them, gives it their all, in everything that they do and they appreciate each other. They’re like a band of brothers. I am really enjoying this series and can’t wait for the next book.

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat by Johnny Marciano

5 stars Children’s/ Middle School

With a flash of light, he was gone, teleported to the horrible, ravaged planet Earth! I had a wonderful, hilarious time reading this children’s book. It wasn’t just my love of cats that made this book entertaining, it was Klawde and his witty descriptions that stole the show. As Klawde described living amongst us carnivorous ogres, he couldn’t believe that Raj didn’t realize Klawde was the greatest feline warlord to walk the universe.

Raj had problems of his own. They had just moved to Oregon and Raj didn’t know a soul. When the wet cat showed up on his doorstep, his parents told Raj that he could keep him, if he went to Nature Camp. Little did Raj know that Klawde was a talking warlord that had big plans which would involve him and that this “Nature Camp” was actually a survival camp.

It was Klawde, the warlord and his supreme view that cracked me up throughout the novel. When gifted with a scratching post, Klawde wondered if it was a sculpture. What was up with the fake, fluffy animals that they tried to get Klawde to attack and kill, was this their idea of military training or just cat toys? What about the human who tried to spear Klawde in the neck? Klawde wants to return home to his planet and seek revenge on those who teleported him to Earth but first, he must find a way to get there.

Raj has always wanted a cat yet I don’t think he was ready for Klawde. Raj becomes part of Klawde’s mission and tries to help him accomplish his task which of course, is funny. He thought he had a cool cat once he learns Klawde can talk but will he talk for anyone else? Raj has some issues at camp and talks to Klawde about them but unfortunately, Klawde behaves like a cat most of the time, when Raj wants any kind of a response.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked Klawde’s imagination, his wit, and I liked his determination. I liked the friendship the two of them had. I liked how the author alternated the views from Klawde to Raj, on each chapter, as I believe that it allowed the reader to see both sides of the story and made the book wittier and amusing. I liked this book so much I picked up book 2 from the library last night. It was a fun and entertaining.

Operatic by Kyo Maclear

3 stars Middle School Graphic Novel

The cover of this graphic novel caught my eye and looking inside, I knew I had to read it. There is something about the feel of these heavy pages and the artist’s style that makes me love these types of graphic novels. With a concentration of color on each page and the way that the illustrator captures the story, appeals to me. I think these qualities give me the feeling of significance and comfort.

This graphic novel is about Charlie and she’s in middle school. When I think of middle school, I think of chaos. To me, it’s that in-between stage where you’re trying to figure things out and your body is trying to figure things out and you want to try new things but you’re not sure and ………, it’s chaos, if you think about it. So, welcome to Charlie’s world.

It’s the end of her school year and she’s noticing things around her and trying to make sense of it. Which is hard for her to do. She also needs to find a song which describes her for where she is at, in her life right now, for an assignment. This is an assignment that Charlie takes very seriously. There is also an end-of-the-year school talent show which Charlie has promised that she will perform in with her best friends. There seems to be a lot of activities occurring in Charlie’s life right now.

I felt a bit confused reading this novel at times as the flow felt jumbled and I wasn’t quite sure what was happening. It felt as if, the novel jumped from one thing to another and I was left hanging trying to figure out exactly where I was.

I did like the parts where Charlie was researching her song. Good information and investigating on Charlie’s part. I enjoyed Charlie’s teacher and how he covered his topics. The illustrations were fantastic. I think you need to really look at the illustrations in this novel, they were fun to look at and the details in some of them made me laugh. There were a lot of great topics that the author tried to cover but I think too many topics was the issue. I think by trying to include too many topics, a few of them didn’t get the space in the novel that they deserved. I give it 3 stars based on the confusion and the topics that I felt needed more space. I enjoyed the music aspect of this graphic novel, Charlie’s investigative work, the excellent illustrations, and the quality of the book.

Rebound by Kwame Alexander

5 stars Middle School

I loved the grandparents in this novel especially the grandfather. I felt that I could almost hear what he was going to say before he even said it. Charlie thought his life at home was rough but when he found himself spending his summer with his grandparents, he soon realized that living at home wasn’t so bad.

Perspective, it was interesting to see how Charlie’s perspective changed throughout the novel. Great relationships in the novel and there’s not a lot of “preaching” in this novel to get the points across. His objective nature began to change by itself. A powerful, motivational novel that uses sports and friendships to reach its audience.

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

4 stars Middle School / Children’s chapter fiction

Definitely read the author’s notes in this novel as I felt that they added a great deal to this story. In her notes, Padma discusses some of the many reasons why children become homeless and their status once they’re out on the street. The freedom that these children search for is often not immediate. Out on the street, these children are often met with uncertainty. Discrimination, hunger, poverty, abandonment, and danger on many different levels is often a part of their daily life. There are millions of homeless children living on the streets in India, Padma states, but this problem is global as you know and she hopes that her novel will bring awareness to them and acceptance.

Based on personal stories the author kept in a journal over the years, this novel shows the determination and strength that the children in India have as they search for their own freedom. Determining that it’s not safe living with their abusive father, Viji takes her younger sister, Rukku and they run away. Viji knows it would be hard living on the street, tending to her sister, but didn’t realize it would be this hard. They have no safe place to unwind, to relax, or to breathe easier. Every minute, Viji keeps vigil watch over Rukku, as she tries to find them supplies to keep them going for another day. This task is exhausting yet Viji is not complaining, she’s just waiting for a break.

Relief comes when Viji spots an abandoned tarpaulin tent that’s attached to a bridge. When Muthu and Arul claim that the tent is theirs, it’s finally decided that they’ll all share it. Four children and Rukku’s new dog will all stay under the one tarp.

I enjoyed how the boys showed the sisters how they made their money and they treated them as equals. The character of Aunty was wonderful and her relationship with the girls, especially Rukku warmed my heart. I loved Viji stories, Rukku talent and how Rukku shared that with the others. The waste mart, I couldn’t get this place off my mind. I will have this imaged etched in my mind for a while. The friendship these four had were what a family is all about. The only issue I had with this novel was that I didn’t have that emotional element to the characters that I felt I should have. A few moments in the novel were emotional left downs for me. As they were transpiring, I was expecting this Kleenex moment but no, it just happened and I moved on. It should have been more emotional for me yet it wasn’t.

A great novel that’s a quick read but gives a lasting impression.