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DiPucchio, Kelly. GASTON New York : Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014 IL K-3, RL 2.8 ISBN 1442451025 Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio, is the story of four puppies: Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La, and Gaston. Three of these puppies are French poodles and no bigger than teacups but Gaston, who is actually a French bulldog, is the size of a teapot! As you get to know Gaston, you’ll want to give him credit for trying to be such a proper pooch just like his sisters. One day, Gaston’s family meets a bulldog family in the park with roundish faces and three brothers named Rocky, Ricky, Bruno, and their dainty poodle sister named, Antoinette. Gaston and Antoinette quickly realize there must have been a mix-up between the families and decide to switch places. The new families look right…but they just don’t feel right. You’ll have to read this book to find out where these two adorable dogs find their rightful place and happiness. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Today's podcast 06/30/2015
Monday, June 29, 2015
Today's podcast 06/29/2015
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Leroy Ninker Saddles Up by Kate DiCamillo
DiCamillo, Kate. LEROY NINKER SADDLES UP Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press, 2014 IL K-3, RL 4.2 ISBN 0763663395 The tiny thief, Leroy Ninker, who tries to steal the toaster in Mercy Watson Fights Crime, has mended his ways and returns in this spinoff series. Still planning on a career as a cowboy, Leroy, the drive-in movie concession salesman, makes plans to fulfill his dream. His coworker, Beatrice, informs him that he needs a horse, handing him a “Horse for Sale” advertisement. Leroy can’t wait to find the horse of his dreams and soon locates Maybelline, an old horse with a velvety damp nose and only four teeth. After hearing her former owner’s advice (firstly, be kind to her, “you got to talk sweet to Maybelline,” secondly, give her lots of grub, and, thirdly, never leave her alone), Leroy and Maybelline gallop away faster and faster across the fields. He has never been happier! But when he forgets an important tip about Maybelline, he fears his cowboy dreams are over. Read to find out what hair-raising adventure occurs, AND if Leroy and Maybelline ever run into some old friends. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Today's podcast 06/28/2015
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The Chicken Squad : The First Misadventure by Doreen Cronin
Cronin, Doreen. THE CHICKEN SQUAD : THE FIRST MISADVENTURE New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014 IL K-3, RL 3.1 ISBN 1442496762 J.J. Tully, a dog, has his paws full. He is in charge of protecting the Chicken Squad and their mother, Moosh. Dirt, Sugar, Poppy and Sweetie (the members of the Chicken Squad) are trying to solve the mystery of what BIG, SCARY, ENORMOUS, FRIGHTENING, HUGE, TERRIFYING, ROUND, SHINY thing has scared the squirrel, Tail. You won’t believe what it is! Read The Chicken Squad and discover along with Tully what has gotten the chickens’ feathers ruffled. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Today's podcast 06/27/2015
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Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas by Lynne Cox
Cox, Lynne. ELIZABETH, QUEEN OF THE SEAS New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, 2014 IL K-3, RL 4.2 ISBN 0375958886 Elephant seals belong in the ocean, but Elizabeth is different. No one knows what draws her to settle in a busy intersection in the middle of Christchurch, New Zealand, but she makes it clear that is where she wants to be. This true story of love and determination will warm your heart! (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Friday, June 26, 2015
Today's podcast 06/26/2015
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My Teacher Is a Monster by Peter Brown
Brown, Peter. MY TEACHER IS A MONSTER! (NO, I AM NOT) Boston : Little Brown, 2014 IL K-3, RL 1.7 ISBN 0316070297 A young boy named Bobby has the worst teacher. She's loud, she yells, and if you throw paper airplanes, she won't allow you to enjoy recess. She is a monster! Luckily, Bobby can go to his favorite spot in the park on weekends to play. Until one day... he finds his teacher there! Over the course of one day, Bobby learns that monsters are not always what they seem. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Today's podcast 06/25/2015
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Bloom, C. P. THE MONKEY GOES BANANAS
Bloom, C. P. THE MONKEY GOES BANANAS New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2014 IL K-3 ISBN 1419708856 Monkey spies a banana tree. What will he do to get his hands on them? Monkey cleverly finds a way to outsmart a shark and get to the bananas. This mostly wordless picture book is truly hilarious! (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Today's podcast 06/24/2015
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Barnett, Mac. SAM AND DAVE DIG A HOLE
Barnett, Mac. SAM AND DAVE DIG A HOLE Somerville, MA : Candlewick, 2014 IL K-3, RL 1.9 ISBN 0763662291 Sam, Dave and their dog have a challenge. They want to dig and dig and dig until they find something spectacular – something huge – something thrilling. They seem unsuccessful. But are they really? Pay close attention to the illustrations and you’ll discover what Sam and Dave found. This book won a Caldecott Honor Medal for outstanding illustrations. (Booktalk by Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Committee)
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Today's podcast 06/23/2015
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Tregay, Sarah. FAN ART Katherine Tegen Books, 2014 Jamie is a senior on the staff of Gumshoe, the school's literary magazine. He is confident with his sexuality at home where his mom and stepdad applaud him - in fact, his mom can't wait for him to have a boyfriend, and his stepfather wanted to be sure to support Jamie when he came out, so he threw him a party with balloons and "congratulations" - very charming family! At school, though, it's a different story. He's had a crush on his best friend Mason for a long time and fears losing his friendship if he fesses up to being gay. The girls in the art class have it all figured out, though, and they attempt to work their magic to get Jamie together with his dream boy and best friend. When Jamie makes an independent decision about including a gay-themed comic for the magazine, things start happening - big time! .(Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Monday, June 22, 2015
Today's podcast 06/22/2015
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I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Nelson, Jandy. I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN New York : Dial Books, 2014 IL YA ISBN 080334964 Noah and Jude are twins who have always felt connected. Jude is the popular one, pretty and outgoing. Noah is the quiet, artistic one, who sees more in the world, but is always being picked on, until Brian moves in next door. Fast forward two years, and things have changed. Their mom is dead, and the twins seem to have swapped lives. What happened and why comes in spurts of insight/story from each twin, both past and present, until it all comes together. The language and imagery is delightful, with Noah being the more fanciful, but this excerpt is Jude talking to Noah: “‘Maybe a person is just made up of a lot of people’ I say. ‘Maybe we’re accumulating these new selves all the time.’ Hauling them in as we make choices, good and bad, as we screw up, step up, lose our minds, find our minds, fall apart, fall in love, as we grieve, grow, retreat from the world, dive into the world, as we make things, as we break things. “He grins. ‘Each new self standing on the last one’s shoulders until we’re these wobbly people poles?’ “I die of delight. ‘Yes, exactly! We’re all just wobbly people poles!’” (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Today's podcast 06/21/2015
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To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Han, Jenny. TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE New York : Simon and Schuster, 2014 IL YA ISBN 1442426705 Lara Jean has this habit of writing really detailed love letters to boys she has crushes on in order to get them out of her system. Detailed, down to cataloging their good and bad qualities. Then she puts them away, and is done with both the boy and the letter. Suddenly, the letters are missing, and boys are coming up to her with her letter in their hands. This wasn't just a story of mortification, though it could have been, but it's about how Lara Jean copes with the revelations, as well as her sister Margot going off to college in Scotland, being in love with Margot’s boyfriend, taking care of her father and Kitty, now that Margot isn't around to do it, etc. (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Today's podcast 06/20/2015
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Jury, Walter. SCAN GP Putnam's Sons, 2014 I expected to hate this from the very beginning. Wrestling? Um, no. Aliens? Nope. But then the action drew me in. The story of Tate and his friends and family was relatively interesting until people started shooting at them, and then the pace really picked up. “[Dad’s] fingers close over my shoulder. ‘Tate, I know you’re angry with me. But we can fight later.’ “I wrench myself away from him. ‘Get off me.’… “‘Tate.’ Dad grabs my arm again. ‘It’s very important that we run. Now.”… “Tate, wir müssen fliehen. Jetzt. Jetzt!” my father barks, snapping me out of my trance. “We have to escape. Now. Clipped German words, tinged with pure desperation.” I was emotionally involved right up until the big cliffhanger. Luckily, the sequel, Burn, comes out May 12th. (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Friday, June 19, 2015
Today's podcast 06/19/2015
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Beautiful Music For Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills Flux 2012 Gabe is a trans man, born as Liz, finally about to get out of high school, so he can begin living his life as himself. He tells us: “I’ve been a boy my whole life. I wish I’d been born a vampire or a werewolf instead, or with a big red clown nose permanently stuck to my face, because that stuff would be easy. Having a brain that doesn’t agree with your body is a much bigger pain…” His best friend, Paige, is totally supportive, though there's that pesky attraction to her that makes life difficult. Gabe's parents and brother haven't been able to look him in the eye since he broke the news to them. His next-door neighbor and mentor, John, doesn't know yet, and Gabe's nervous about telling him. In the meantime, John and Gabe share a passion for music, and John's just gotten Gabe a gig DJing on KZUK in the middle of the night. Gabe calls his show Beautiful Music for Ugly Children, and is so honest and inspiring, he inspires an Ugly Children Brigade to form. (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Today's podcast 06/18/2015
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Lockhart, E. WE WERE LIARS Delacorte 2013 The wealthy Sinclair family (or is this the Kennedys?) owns a private island off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. They are beautiful and perfect in every way. Or are they? Cadence is our narrator who talks about a particular summer she spends with her cousins Johnny and Mirren, and also Gat Patil (a friend and love interest of Cadence) who often stirs up the family with his political stance on the wealthy - trying to remind them that there are people who are NOT ridiculously loaded with money . They've been summering on the island together as a group for years (the patriarch of the family built three houses on the island besides his own for his three daughters, and these houses are filled with people who have secrets and lie), but this year deserves a special telling, and along the way, we learn that seemingly typical quirky teenager Cadence is damaged - has debilitating migraines and we don't learn why -- until we reach, or so we think, the TRUTH, and the book's end. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE. (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Today's podcast 06/17/2015
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Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson, Brandon. . STEELHEART Delacorte, 2013 The future is rather grim - populated and dominated by superheroes, but these superheroes - or EPICS as they're called, are not your comic book characters. Ever since "Calamity"arrived, which from the description sounds like a kind of satellite - and is hovering over the Earth, the superheroes have populated the earth as villains intent on ruling the world and eliminating anyone - human or fellow epic - who get in their way. Main character and snarky teen David's city of Chicago is ruled by Steelheart who is strong beyond measure, and can control the elements. He has turned Chicago into a shining city of STEEL. After losing his father to Steelheart as a 6 year old, David spends his entire life dedicated to finding this Epic's weakness and plans to destroy him. Enter the Reckoners - a group of rag tag kids and adults whose mission is to restore peace by systematically taking out the epics. When David finds them, his knowledge becomes essential to their plans. Will they get to the strongest Epic to destroy him? (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Today's podcast 06/16/2015
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More Than This by Patrick Ness
Ness, Patrick. MORE THAN THIS Take a moment to imagine what your own private hell might look like... Got an image? Well, in the opening scene of this book, our main character Seth drowns and dies - a rather intensely portrayed drowning, I might add (and note that this is NOT the worst of it!) He is bewildered to awaken unclothed, starving, and thirsty in a bizarrely unpopulated and dusty world that is somehow familiar to him. Turns out, it's his childhood home in England - where he lived before the family moved to America - and he's about to face his own private hell. Interestingly, it's taken his own death to get him to confront his demons. Whenever Seth closes his eyes in this strange world, troubling past events haunt him in nightmares - these dreams include his family, the boy he loves and past traumas. The reader shares the oddity of the situation and wonders whether Seth is in heaven, hell, a fully reborn life? What the heck is happening? Is he really alive? (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee)
Monday, June 15, 2015
Today's podcast 06/15/2015
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McNeal, Tom. FAR FAR AWAY New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2013 IL YA ISBN 0375849726 Jeremy is a regular kid in modern-day middle America, but there are a couple of unique things about him: he lives in the back of the Two-Book Bookstore that he inherited from his grandfather, which only sells both volumes of his grandfather's memoir, with his shut-in dad, and he has an interesting relationship with a ghost that only he can hear: Jacob Grimm. Yep, that Jacob Grimm, or, as it is properly pronounced and specifically mentioned in the book, Yaukub. (Booktalk by NH Flume Committee) This beautifully written story follows Jeremy through the tribulations of both regular teenage life and the potential loss of his home as the bookstore fails, and then life begins to resemble the fairy tales that he loves so much (and don't forget that they are the grim Grimm versions).
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Today's podcast 06/11/2015
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Footer Davis Might Be Possibly Is Crazy by Susan Vaught
Vaught, Susan. FOOTER DAVIS MIGHT BE PROBABLY IS CRAZY New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015 IL 5-8, RL 5.4 ISBN 1481422766 Footer Davis' mother just "ain't right". That's what they all say. Actually, she has bipolar disorder. When she is sent to a mental hospital, Footer misses her so much. To distract herself from thinking about her mother, Footer and her best friend Peavine Jones set out to investigate the disappearance of two children. Both girls take the investigation seriously and want to find out what happened. But Footer begins to have hallucinations and worries that she is going crazy just like her mother.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Today's podcast 06/10/2015
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Touch the Brightest Star by Christie Matheson
Matheson, Christie. TOUCH THE BRIGHTEST STAR New York : Greenwillow Books, 2015 IL K-3, RL 1.7 ISBN 0062274473 What happens when the sun goes down? The night becomes magic. “Magic happens every night. / First wave good-bye to the sun’s bright light.” Come along on a journey through the night. Tap the firefly to make it light. Pat the deer. Swipe the sky. Rub the owl heads. And when the night is over, a new magical day begins.
Tuesday, June 09, 2015
Today's podcast 06/09/2015
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Watson, Jude. LOOT : HOW TO STEAL A FORTUNE New York : Scholastic, 2014 IL 5-8, RL 4.2 ISBN 0545468027 Advice from Alfie McQuin to his son, March: *Never trust a guy who says “trust me”. *If you think nothing can go wrong---you’d better think again. *Panic doesn’t get you anything but arrested. March McQuin has led an “interesting” life so far. Being raised by his widowed dad, who also happens to be an international jewel thief, has resulted in many moves to many countries and countless transfers from one school to another. Through it all, though, they’ve always had each other, and Alfie has passed on his wisdom as well as “homeschooling” March in the art of burglary. But Alfie’s latest heist has gone terribly wrong. Now March is on his own, and he’s being followed. He’s going to need all of the skills and wisdom his father gave him just to survive, let alone to solve the mystery of Alfie’s last request---“Find jewels…” What jewels? Or, maybe, who is Jules? March will find friends and allies where he least expects them, but there are enemies out there, too. And they’re all trying to be first to find….the loot. This high-speed adventure will have you hooked from the first chapter to the last. (Booktalk by the NH Great Stone Face Committee)
Monday, June 08, 2015
Today's podcast 06/08/2015
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Lord, Cynthia. HALF A CHANCE New York : Scholastic, 2014 IL 3-6, RL 4.3 ISBN 0545035333 When you take pictures do you just point and shoot? Do you frame your picture? Do you consider the “story” the photo will tell? Lucy’s family has just moved into a year round home on a lake in New Hampshire, her third move in her twelve years. Lucy’s Dad, a famous photographer, never stays in one place too long, and truth to tell he will be taking off within a day for a summer long assignment in Arizona leaving Lucy and her Mom to sort out the move and settle into this new life. Even before unpacking her first box Lucy is driven to grab her own camera and, with her dog Ansel (after Ansel Adams), “capture a first New Hampshire photo, so that in time she will feel the relief and comfort of looking back at this first one and remember how brave and scary everything was then, and realize she ‘made it’ once again. Like creating a memory in reverse.” Memory and photography intertwine in the telling of this story. Very quickly, Lucy meets Nate, the boy next door, and his family who are summer residents in the cottage owned by his Grandma Lilah. Grandma Lilah is passionate about participating with the Loon Preservation Society’s annual egg count and hatchings. However, she can no longer manage daily kayaking to the loon nesting island and enlists the help of Nate, his sister, and “Lucy of the Loons” as she dubs Lucy on her first venture. Sometimes another neighbor Megan, who sees Lucy as a rival, participates as well. As you will discover, Grandma Lilah is having more trouble managing other things as well this summer. Through a desire to help Grandma Lilah and a secret longing to have her photography skills measure up to her father’s highly demanding standards, Lucy, with Nate’s interest and help, work to gather samples for a Photo Scavenger Hunt run by a magazine, nine photos reflecting a creative approach to nine words or phrases. Ethical issues arise when Lucy has to enter the contest under Nate’s name since her father is one of the contest judges. But even more difficult ethical, friendship, and creative choice issues arise over the use or non-use of a particular photo of Grandma Lilah that “reveals a story, show me why I care?” but one that Nate cares too much to want to see. (Kathleen Fencil, NH Great Stone Face Committee, 2015)
Friday, June 05, 2015
Today's podcast 06/05/2015
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Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Hunt, Lynda Mullaly. FISH IN A TREE New York : Nancy Paulsen, 2015 IL 5-8, RL 4.2 ISBN 0399162593 Ally Nickerson spends a lot of time in the Principal’s office. She does not always understand what she did wrong to get there. She has also had to move a lot, seven schools in her twelve years. Her father is in the military and is currently deployed overseas. Ally demonstrates unique brightness and interesting drawing capabilities as she doodles in her “Sketchbook of Impossible Things,” but at other times her good intentions lead to disastrous consequences, all because she cannot tell the absolute truth, not to her principal, not to her teacher, not to her Mom, not to her friends. Ally still cannot read, no matter how hard she tries. And she does try, but reading for Ally is “still like trying to make sense of a can of alphabet soup that’s been dumped on a plate. She just doesn’t get how other people do it. Ally Nickerson + reading = Impossible! To say that Ally stands out is stating the obvious, but she is not totally alone. She develops friendships with a couple of other class misfits; “Tell–it-like-it-is Keisha and science and fact obsessed Albert who wears the same “Flint” shirt to school everyday and is often seen with mysterious bruises. In the course of their school year they get a new teacher, Mr. Daniels who sees the child first, before the student. There are heroes in this book and they are not only the adults. This book is a “Silver Dollar” read. The Fish in a Tree title comes from a quote often misappropriated to Albert Einstein; “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” The truth of a quote has nothing to do with who it came from, but it would be fine and fitting had it been Einstein. (Kathleen Fencil, NH Great Stone Face Committee)
Thursday, June 04, 2015
Today's podcast 06/04/2015
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Durham, Paul. LUCK UGLIES New York : HarperCollins, 2014 IL 3-6, RL 5.5 ISBN 0062271504 Rye O’Chanter and her best friends Quinn and Folly know well the history of Village Drowning, a village said to be “built on a foundation of secrets, rules, and lies but mostly just mud.” The children have heard tell of the hideous Bog Noblins–creatures who wear human feet as necklaces–and the bands of lawless men known as Luck Uglies, both thought to be long-gone from the village. But when Rye herself has a horrible encounter with a Bog Noblin late one night and a mysterious cloaked and tattooed man appears in the village, Rye and her friends learn that things aren’t always what they seem and what becomes history isn’t always true. The author creates a multi-layered, rich world inhabited by characters that sparkle with life and practically leap from the pages. Readers will be thrilled to know that this engrossing fantasy is the first book of a series. (Booktalk by the NH Great Stone Face Committee)
Wednesday, June 03, 2015
Today's podcast 06/03/2015
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Where I Belong by Mary. Downing Hahn
Hahn, Mary Downing. WHERE I BELONG New York : Clarion, 2014 IL 5-8, RL 5.3 ISBN 0544230205 “If only I had someplace to go besides home. A safe place where I’d belong and nobody would call me names or beat me up or laugh at me. No school. No teachers. No mean kids. No Mrs. Clancy. Just me, Brendan Doyle”. (p. 13, Where I Belong) No one is nice to sixth-grader Brendan Doyle: his foster mother, his teachers, his classmates, and especially the teens who bully him. He escapes in books, drawing, carving, and daydreaming. When Brendan meets an old man near his treehouse in the Virginia woods, he believes that this is the Green Man, the magical spirit guardian of the forest. Brendan builds a treehouse and retreats into his fantasy world. With the help of another new friend, a girl named Shea with secrets of her own, Brendan just might find a place where he belongs. (Booktalk by the NH Great Stone Face Committee)
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
Today's podcast 06/02/2015
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The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker. THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE New York : Dial Books, 2015 IL 3-6. RL 3.9 ISBN 0803740816 From the moment you meet Ada, the main character, you are going to not want to let her go. She’s imperfect, impertinent, smart, and strong. Ada lives with her younger brother Jamie and flat out evil mother in a tiny London flat on the eve of World War II. Ada has a club foot. She’s never walked, and she’s never left the apartment. Her mother shames her and punishes her in deplorable ways. Jamie is Ada’s only lifeline to the world, and when Ada hears that Jamie will be evacuated to the countryside due to the impending bombings, she secretly teaches herself to walk, and very painfully escapes with Jamie in the evacuation. What happens to Ada, and Jamie, and Susan, the woman who has to care for them, is transformative both for the characters and every reader who meets these characters. This book will have you thinking about Ada long after it ends, waiting impatiently for the sequel to be able to spend more time with her. (Booktalk by the NH Great Stone Face Committee)
Monday, June 01, 2015
Today's podcast 06/01/2015
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The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett
Barnett, Mac. THE TERRIBLE TWO New York : Amulet Books, 2015 IL 3-6, RL 4.9 ISBN 1419714910 It was the first day of school, and Miles Murphy faced it with a sense of dread; he had just moved to the cow town of Yawnee Valley from his beloved home town back in Florida. Miles looked around and saw all the typical school stuff: typical marquee, typical flagpole, typical bunch of kids milling around, typical school entrance blocked by the typical principal’s car high up on the steps…huh? Wait a minute…what a fantastic prank! The only trouble was, it wasn’t his prank! Back at his old school, he was known as the master of pranks…who was the mastermind here at Yawnee Valley Science and Letters Academy? He had to find out! The one person he was sure it couldn’t be was Niles Sparks, the designated School Helper. Every school has one: the suck-up, the do-gooder, the snitch… Can Miles be out-pranked? This book is funnier than a rubber chicken… and contains some interesting facts about cows! Hilarious for all ages…fun illustrations. (Booktalk by the NH Great Stone Face Committee)