The Penderwicks

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

The Penderwicks is a National Book Award Winner and is a lovely story about four sisters who travel to the Berkshire Mountains with their father for a summer vacation.  The sisters have many adventures and run into many tricky situations which require a convening of the sisters in a meeting of the MOOPS.  The MOOPS must find solutions to some of their dilemmas including what to do about their friend Jeffrey who's mother insists upon sending him away to military school.  Read about the adventures the sisters have with Jeffrey, Cagney the gardener, Cagney's pet rabbits (one of whom almost dies), and the fearful Mrs. Tifton.  This is a great book for students in second grade and up.

the higher power of lucky

the higher power of lucky by Susan Patron

The higher power of lucky, a Newbury Award winner by Susan Patron is set in the dry west, deep in poverty.  Lucky is a ward and depends on Bridgitte to care for her but worries that Bridgitte is going to go back to France and abandon Lucky.  Bridgitte loves France.  It is her home and where her mother lives and because of Lucky, Bridgitte is living in a metal trailer amongst sand squalls.  Lucky eavesdrops on an Alcoholics Anonymous group and learns about seeking your higher power.  Throughout the entire book Lucky is trying to seek her higher power so that no matter what, she’ll be ok.  Then she decides to run away during a sand storm.  Carrying her mother’s ashes she finds herself content to take shelter in a small cave and survive on canned beans.  Lucky is a lovable and very real character.  Join her on her journey to seeking higher power.  This book is great for students in grades 4 and up.  

Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey From Darkness Into Light

Tingle, T. (2010). Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey From Darkness Into Light. El, Paso, Texas: Cinco Puntos Press.

This non-fiction book written by a Choctaw member about his grandmother portrays a modern Native American family.  The title “Saltypie,” compromises the pain and turmoil usually accompanied by discrimination when the boys grandmother teaches him how to use it to ease difficult situations.  The boy is also surprised to learn of his grandmother’s blindness and learns of a subtle method she uses to cope with the disability.  The book is honest and pleasant to read.  (Grade 2 and up).

Big Nate Strikes Again

Peirce, L. (2010). Big Nate Strikes Again. New York: Harper Collins Children’s Books. 

Nate is an adorable and ambitious boy with passions for excitement and sports.  He has a couple of best friends and together the boys harangue each other in good humor while going through typical school days filled with boring lectures, assignments, and stinky cafeteria food.  In this novel Nate is assigned a research project with the detestable Gina about Benjamin Franklin.  Nate accidently begins his research project and finds Benjamin Franklin to be a fascinating subject and with Nate’s creativity and enthusiasm he creates an awesome comic book.  However, Gina disagrees with the format and the two remain unresolved.  Read the book to find out what happens!  Nate is hilarious and readers are sure to enjoy the cartoons embedded in the text.  (Grades 2 and up).  

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Hachette Book Group. 

Arnold Spirit, or preferably Junior, is a courageous young teenager who takes the advice of a teacher to leave the reservation for his education.  This decision results in a lot of beef for a kid who is used to fist fights, including the abandonment of his best friend, Rowdy.  Junior plows his way into the school for white kids, 22 miles off the reservation, a distance he occasionally has to walk due to circumstances revolving around extreme poverty.  A cartoonist, Junior, understands everything about the world in pictures and does an incredible job narrating the story of his year of transition from the school on the reservation to the white kids' school.  After his move, he realizes he belongs neither here nor there and as certain events begin to spiral out of control, Junior makes sweeping discoveries about his heritage and his chosen path in life.  An excellent read and highly recommended for readers 5th grade and up.

American Born Chinese

Yang, G.L. (2006). American Born Chinese. New York: First Second.

A National Book Award Finalist and Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature Winner, this graphic novel portrays some difficult issues for Chinese Americans growing up in an American school system.  It is very well written and illustrated with three separate stories finally converging into one at the end.  Readers will most likely empathize with Jin Wang and his perspective on trying to fit in.  The stories about Danny and the Monkey King seem largely symbolical until it all comes together at the end.  Can Jin Wang find a way to fit in and even more important, will Jin Wang ever learn to accept himself for who he is?  Find out while reading this very entertaining, brightly illustrated graphic novel.  (Grade 7 and up).