Tuesdays in the Castle

Tuesdays in the Castle by Jessica Day George.

Such a cute book!!  Lots of action, adventure, intrigue and all in under 200 pages.  I reached the end and was disappointed that I didn't have another Castle Glower book to jump into.  So glad that I came to Goodreads and saw that Tuesdays is only the first of a series!

Great title for intermediate to middle school age students.  It's such a quick read, older kids might really enjoy being able to finish it in one bite.  I read it in little over an hour.

Celie is the fourth child and princess of her kingdom.  Her ruling family all live in a magic castle that creates rooms and turrets on it's own.  The castle is so busy that even the King and Queen get lost on the way to their own suite.

Celie keeps a map of the ever changing castle and is a favorite of all.  Her knowledge of the castle and bravery help make her one of the best young heroines I read in a long time.  I am buying this for my library, and all the sequels too!

The Candymakers

Another Golden Sower Nominee Finished!!!

Do you like candy?  How much do you like candy? Maybe enough to enter a contest to create the next great sugary confection?

In The Candymakers, by Wendy Mass, twelve-year-olds across America compete to create the next BEST candy.  Four intrepid candymakers are assigned to the "Life is Sweet" candy factory, but each has a hidden agenda.

If Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Westing Game had a baby, it would be this book. The mystery slowly unravels while the point of view juggles between the contestants.  I love the twist at the end that eventually ties the characters together in a time before the contest.

I am afraid to say much more about this charming book, for fear of giving away a clue to the ending.  Don't be scared of this thick book, it is detailed, but who can resist such delicious descriptions!!

PIE and Wild Life

Two more Sower nominees down!

PIE by Sarah Weeks is a short, original mystery involving a secret pie crust recipe, a jealous mother, and a cat named Lardo.  Alice's favorite person in the world is her Aunt Polly, owner if the world famous PIE shop.  When Polly unexpectedly dies, and leaves her top secret pie crust to Lardo, Alice begins to see her small town and family come apart.  After she discovers the bakery in shambles after a break-in, Alice decides it's up to her to find the would be thief.  Great story, good for any boy or girl who enjoys a good quick mystery.  I finished reading PIE and immediately handed it to my middle school daughter to read!

My next book, Wild Life , by Cynthia DeFelice, is really geared toward middle level boys.  That said, I know that the girls it school that hunt with their families will love this title!

Erik has just had his whole world pulled out from under him.  Both of his parents have been deployed to Iraq unexpectedly and all of his plans with his best friend Patrick have been thrown out the window.  In four days, Erik is in North Dakota, a world away from New York.

After he arrives, Erik begins to see why his mother had avoided trips home. Big Darrell, his grandfather, is grouchy and distant.  Erik spends the first two days avoiding him.  

When Erik finds a young hunting dog with porcupine quills stuck in her nose, he thinks he might have found a friend that can make North Dakota bearable.  Big Darrell has other ideas and that's when Erik decides to take off on his own and try his hand at the "wild life".

Great book for students who enjoy hunting or realistic fiction.

Three more Golden Sowers done!!

I finished three Sowers this afternoon, and all were really good, quick reads.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick uses the same, unique form he created for The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The novel is told in pictures and text, so that a book of 617 pages, only has about 100 full pages of text.  This time the story involves a young deaf girl from the 1920's, whose story is told in pictures.  Her images are intertwined between the story of Ben, told in 1977.  The stories are more straightforward than the tale in Hugo, but I think Ben's quest will make this tale more appealing to the middle school reader.

May B by Caroline Starr Rose is written in the form of a poem, so it is another very quick read.  May B is twelve when her family takes her out of her country school and sends her to help another farmer in this 1870's tale.  Although May B  longs to be a teacher when she turns 16, she struggles with reading.  A new teacher in her one room school house doesn't help, so her parents send her 15 miles away to another Sod House farm.  When the new bride at the Oblinger farm runs home, her husband chases after her, leaving May stranded and alone in the Oblinger Sod house.  How will she survive the horrible Kansas winter?  This is a great historical fiction choice for students who enjoy The Little House on the Prairie novels.

My last read today was Payback by Carl Deuker.  This sports novel is also a mystery.  Dan "Mitch" True, longs to be a top reporter someday.  When he and school newspaper photographer Kimi Yun find a new stand out football star on their HS team, they can't wait to write a fantastic story for their school paper.  It's when they are told no, that the anomalies start appearing and the two decide to investigate the new player.  Lots of football action, so you feel like you are right there, at the game.  Mitch is a great character, who really works hard at becoming a better writer and stronger person.  Super book for all sports and mystery fans.

I"ll keep working through the Golden Sower nominees, and let you know my favorites!!!

Updating and upreading

I have been updating our Middle School Library sites as I create our new Integrated Technology curriculum.  I hope that the updates have made the links and info on the site easier to access.  Feel free to check it out.

My goal to read every Golden Sower nominee this summer is not quite completed, but I have a few days before summer is over.  Here are the nominees I have read so far:

Intermediate Nominees:

The Clockwork Three by Mattew Kirby

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Wonder by R.J.  Palacio


Young Adult Nominees:

Matched by Ally Condie

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25  by  Richard Paul Evans

Dark Life by Kat Falls

Red Cell by John Kalkowski

Legend by Marie Lu

Epitaph Road by David Patneaude


As you can see, I have quite a few titles left to read.  Hopefully this week and next weekend will afford me some time to get caught up.  My favorites so far have been Wonder and The Unwanteds, I was surprised by how much I loved both books.  I talked both of them up on my Twitter feed Follow @jessiesandre