The Thing About Jellyfish

Image from: www.alibenjamin.com

Ali Benjamin

I found out about this book through the website www.theglobalreadaloud.com. They are currently having a vote on the shortlist of books for next year and this is one of the books they are recommending for middle school. I decided I am going to read them all and see if there are any real standouts that we can use next year.

This is a great story about loss, grief, and sadness and how we process all three. If you are looking for a good cry, the last part of this book will definitely provide it. This book reminded me of Mockingbird by Katherine Erksine and Wonder by Palaccio so if you liked either of those books you will probably like this one too!

The Blackthorn Key

Image from: http://books.simonandschuster.ca/The-Blackthorn-Key/Kevin-Sands/Blackthorn-Key/9781481446518

by Kevin Sands

I was excited to read this book because I have seen it all over the place and I wasn't disappointed. The main character, Christopher, is an apothecary's apprentice. Unfortunately, apothecaries all over the city are being murdered and it isn't long before Christopher's beloved master is the next victim.

Using the puzzles and clues that his master left behind, Christopher, along with his friend Tom, must find out who is behind the horrible murders and decide whether he wants to share the power that lies behind his master's hidden discovery.

I would recommend this book to Grade 5-7. It is a quite violent in the last couple of chapters but the overall story, character development, etc. is GREAT! As an added bonus, Kevin Sands is a Canadian author so I am hoping this one will be on Silver Birch or Red Maple next year!

Fuzzy Mud

Image from: www.louissachar.com

By Louis Sachar

I picked up this book because we had to study Louis Sachar for Battle of the Books and I was curious if it was any good, considering I wasn't a big fan of the title. I am, however, a big fan of Louis Sachar in general and have read Holes and Sideways Stories many, many time.

Anyway, Fuzzy Mud is the story of Tamaya Dhilwaddi and Marshall Walsh, who end up taking a detour through the woods and find themselves in some serious trouble. Another boy, Chad Hilligas, has decided to beat up Marshall and hunts them down in the woods. As they are fighting, Tamaya picks up some weird mud and throws it at Chad's face. He backs off and leaves.

Tamaya and Marshall make their way home. That night, Tamaya's hand starts to get a rash. She realizes it's from the mud she picked up and that her skin is flaking off. Tamaya ends up going to school the next day where she learns that Chad is missing. She realizes it is up to her to find him and that he is probably in really bad shape since the mud went all over his face. She sets out to find him and the adventure continues from there.

I don't want to say too much more about this one because I don't want to give it away but it was a good read, freakier than I thought it would be, but good. I would recommend this book for Grade 4-6.

unfriended

Image from www.rachelvail.com

By Rachel Vail

Truly dumps her best friend when one of her old friends, who is now quite popular, invites her into her group. Hazel, the girl who gets dumped, hacks Truly's social media accounts. Hazel tries to stir things up, sometimes to help Truly, sometimes not so much.  Natasha, the girl who invited Truly into her group, also uses social media to spread rumours. Before long everything has gone wrong and Truly isn't sure what to do.

The book ends with Truly throwing her phone into the lake and everyone making up and being friends again.

Normally I like Rachel Vail books and I was excited to check this one out too. Unfortunately it was not my favourite, mostly because I didn't like the writing. There were a few good story lines but the story was told by many different characters so you have to pay attention to who is talking or you might be a bit confused.

I would recommend this book to Grade 6-8 as it is a story about middle school.

Better Nate Than Never

Image from www.timfederle.com

by Tim Federle

This is a story about a boy named Nate who really wants to be on Broadway. With the help of his best friend Libby he sneaks away from home to go to an audition in New York City. He makes it to the audition but not without worrying his whole family, re-uniting with his aunt, and having a few adventures in NYC.

I liked this book because Nate is the kind of character who sticks with you. I read this book a while ago and I still remember what it was about, which is a good sign since I read a lot and sometimes forget. If you like stories that really focus on the characters you will probably enjoy this book. There is a second book in the series as well called Five. Six. Seven..

Timberwolf Rivals

Image from: http://www.rockandroll-literacy.com/books.html

By Sigmund Brouwer

I got this book last year when Sigmund Brouwer came to our school last year and it ended up under the tree for my younger son. We had a lot of fun reading this book together as it is full of pranks and silliness. The story isn't about hockey very much but is more about how two friends try to impress a girl to get her to do a dance competition with them. 

I think that kids in grades 1-3 would like this book and it is part of a series so if you like this one there are other ones that you can enjoy as well. 

Fragile Bones - Red Maple

Image from: http://www.lornaschultznicholson.com/

By Lorna Schultz Nicholson

Fragile Bones -- Harrison and Anna -- is the first book in a series about a group of teenagers who take part in a program called Best Buddies. "To take part in the Best Buddies Program, volunteers with and without intellectual disabilities agree to be paired with each other for one school year.  The pairs are then responsible for contacting each other once a week by telephone, e-mail, letter or note; meeting each other twice a month for a one-to-one activity; and participating in group activities during the school year." (http://bestbuddies.ca/about-us/faq/)

This story tells both of their points of view as they participate in the program and learn from one another. If you are interested in learning about autism this book gives a lot of insight into Harrison's experience with autism and also how his family handles it. If you are interested in learning more about the Best Buddies Program you can check it out at www.bestbuddies.ca.