Current Reads & Reviews: Battle of the Books

Gläser Mechthild. The Book Jumper. Feiwel & Friends/Square Fish, 2018. ISBN: 1541406893 

Summary: Amy Lennox doesn't know quite what to expect when she and her mother pick up and leave Germany for Scotland, heading to her mother's childhood home of Lennox House on the island of Stormsay. Amy's grandmother, Lady Mairead, insists that Amy must read while she resides at Lennox House-but not in the usual way. It turns out that Amy is a book jumper, able to leap into a story and interact with the world inside. As thrilling as Amy's new power is, it also brings danger: someone is stealing from the books she visits, and that person may be after her life. Teaming up with fellow book jumper, Will, Amy vows to get to the bottom of the thefts-at whatever cost. 

Analysis: What a fun adventure story! Jumping into different book’s plots was delightful and so creative. I loved Amy and Will... Feels like there could be an opening to a sequel. Fingers crossed!

Current Reads & Reviews: Battle of the Books

Shields, Breeana. Poison’s Kiss. Random House USA Inc, 2018. ASIN: B01EE0FACO

Summary: Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It's a miserable life, but being a visha kanya, a poison maiden, is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon.

Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she's really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose.

Analysis: I loved this story! Once it grabbed me, I just couldn’t put it down... Marinda and her relationship with Mani and with Deven tore at my heartstrings. Intense at times, this story is a fun ride. On to the sequel.

Currents Reads & Reviews: Battle of the Books

Landers, Melissa. Starflight. Disney Pr, 2017. ISBN: 1484723244 

Summary: Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She's so desperate to reach the realm that she's willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith.

Analysis: I did not want to put it down! The banter and chemistry between Solara and Doran drew me in immediately. I fell for them both. I loved all the shipmates on the Banshee! Such a fun ride, intense at times, while laughing out loud at others. On to the sequel and conclusion to the story!

Current Reads & Reviews: Battle of the Books

Blake, Elly. Frostblood. Hodder & Stoughton, 2017. ISBN: 0316273252

Summary: Ruby is a Fireblood that has to hide her true self or face the consequences.But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their bloodthirsty king, she agrees to come out of hiding, desperate to have her revenge.

Analysis: The story reminded me a bit of the Red Queen series, though I am liking this story line much better. Ruby is a strong character you can't help but like. The characters are endearing and the romantic moments are sizzling. On to the sequel.

Current Reads & Reviews: Graphic Novel Quick Reads

Bertozzi, Nick. Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey. New York: First Second, 2014. Print. ISBN: 1596434511 

Summary: A treacherous expedition across the Antarctic, this non-fiction informational graphic novel illustrates and guides the reader through Ernest Shackleton and his crew’s Odyssey detailing their trials and tribulations.

Analysis: Nick Bertozzi’s graphic novel, Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey, is a quick read illustrating the Antarctic Expeditions. In the beginning, there is a detailed timeline provided for each of the expeditions that preceded Ernest’s Shackleton’s Imperial Antarctic Expedition. Also provided is a full page of illustrations with textual information regarding all crew members aboard the Endurance including the 34 dogs that were to help them through this endeavor.

            Bertozzi does an excellent job bringing the reader into the adventure right alongside Shackleton and his persevering attitude as he faces perils no one could truly imagine. This is an excellent informational piece, a quick non-fiction read that students young and old will enjoy. I do feel that I was left with quite a few unanswered questions, almost as if the book was a bit too short, however, this could lead to additional research and learning. “A lighthearted graphic novel packed with detail makes an original contribution to the literature on Ernest Shackleton.” –The Honorable Alexandra Shackleton, Granddaughter of Sir Ernest Shackleton.

Activity: After reading the graphic novel, students will have questions as I did. The students will visit the PBS site https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/shackletonexped/ and click on the links provided leading them to additional resources as well as a film. After perusing the site, students are to write down three revelations they learned and share with each other.

Related Resources:  If the reader enjoyed this non-fiction quick read graphic novel, then they should read Nick Bertozzi’s Lewis & Clark adventure.

Bertozzi, Nick. Lewis & Clark. New York: First Second, 2011. Print.

If the reader would like to explore a more detailed account on Shackleton’s expedition they would enjoy Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance by Jennifer Armstrong.

Armstrong, Jennifer. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. Print.

Scholarly Reviews:

School Library Journal 08/01/2014; Booklist 06/01/2014; Publisher’s Weekly 05/19/2014; Kirkus Reviews 05/01/2014

Bertozzi, Nick. Shackleton: Arctic Odyssey. First Second, 2014. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=kdh