Man Trip (A Calvin Coconut Book) by Graham Salisbury -ESSENTIAL

Salisbury, Graham and illustrated by Rogers, Jacqueline Man Trip (A Calvin Coconut Book) 144 pgs. Wendy Lamb Books, 2012. $11.04. (Language-G Violence-G; Sexual Content-G). Calvin gets to go on a plane for the first time, but even better he gets to go deep sea fishing. He is going with his Mom’s boyfriend Ledward, who calls it a Man Trip. Calvin has only ever caught little fish in the creek by his house and is super excited. There is also the complication of the frogs ruining his mowing and certain girl at school who loves frogs! I am starting to think that this author is the master of understated life lessons mixed skillfully into engaging stories.
I was so thrilled by this book, that I might have enjoyed the fishing more than Calvin did! Students will love these stories of a young boy who has a colorful life and fun adventures. This is the second Calvin Coconut book I have reviewed, and I am now officially a huge fan of this series and its author. EL – ESSENTIAL Reviewer: Stephanie MLS graduate & Author.

Bears Beware (Zigzag Kids #5) by Patricia Reilly Giff –OPTIONAL

Giff, Patricia Reilly Bears Beware (Zigzag Kids #5) 224pgs. Yearling, 2012. $4.99. (Language-G Violence-G; Sexual Content-G). Mitchell is a bit nervous about going camping and sleeping in a tent. But all the kids from the Zigzag afternoon center will be there –including his best friend Habib and his older sister. After he is partnered with a strange boy for a nature walk –he is really worried. Will Mitchell get eaten by a bear or will he end up having a good time?
This book wins the award for being the shortest book with the most characters and plot elements. Part of the character over abundance could be due to the fact that this is the 5th book in the series, so the groundwork has been laid out, leaving this book feeling rushed in the introduction department. I think beginning readers would find this book a confusing read. Older students would find it too boring. EL – OPTIONAL

The Apple Tree’s Discovery by Peninnah Schram

Schram, Peninnah and Rachayl Eckstein Davis  The Apple Tree’s Discovery  Illustrated by Wendy W. Lee  Kar-ben Publishing, 2012. $16.95  PICTURE BOOK  Content: G   

A little apple tree sits in a forest of tall oak trees.  The apple tree is jealous of how the oak trees are so tall that it looks like the night stars hang in them, so he asks God to give him stars in his branches.  God tells the tree to be patient.  As the seasons change, eventually the ungrateful apple tree grows apples, but when he still isn’t happy with what he has, God blows the apples off the tree.  When the apples burst open he shows the apple tree that there are stars inside the apples if he looks at them the right way.  The stars are actually the seeds inside arranged in a star pattern.  

I can’t tell if this book is about God answering our prayers and helping us obtain our dreams or about seeing life from a different perspective so we can see our dreams answered.  I wanted the apple tree to learn to be grateful, which is where the book looked to be going, but didn’t end up that way.  The illustrations weren’t great either.  

EL (K-3)-OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.

City of Lies by Lian Tanner - ADVISABLE

Tanner, Lian City of Lies, 278 pgs. Delacorte Press, 2011. $18.00. Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG; 

When Toadspit’s little sister Bonnie is kidnapped, Goldie and Toadspit follow the villains who took her to the city of Spoke. When Toadspit is taken also, it’s up to Goldie, a boy with some mice who can predict the future, a very intelligent cat, and Morg (the museum’s slaughterbird) to rescue the children. To make matters more difficult, Spoke is having a Festival of Lies where everything is back to front and upside down. 

There is plenty of action, but often the plot is disjointed and difficult to follow. I felt like the author had a clear picture of the story, but didn’t give the reader enough information at times for it all to make sense (like when a big lie happened and characters ended up in a completely different time and place). The characters in the story are very likeable and those who read the first book in this trilogy, The Museum of Thieves, will most likely want to read this book to see what happens to them (which is why I’m labeling it as advisable and not simply optional). 

EL-MS ADVISABLE. Reviewer: M. Mathews, middle school librarian.

Waiting on Wednesday # 96 - Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick: Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson #4) by Darynda Jones

Sometimes being the grim reaper really is that. Grim. And since Charley’s last case went so awry, she has taken a couple months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above. Or at least get dressed. She quickly realizes something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she’s insane. The more they refute the woman’s story, the more Charley believes it.

In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, has been cleared of all charges. He is out of prison and out of Charley’s life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved. Just when life was returning to normal, Charley is thrust back into the world of crime, punishment, and the devil in blue jeans.

October 30th 2012 by St. Martin's Press

I just love this series! (favorite :P) Charley is my idol!

Whatever After Fairest of All by Sarah Mlynowski –OPTIONAL

Mlynowski, Sarah Whatever After Fairest of All 176 pgs. Scholastic Press, 2012 (May). $10.08. (Language-G Violence-G; Sexual Content-G). Abby and her little brother Jonah move into a new house and end up going through a mirror in the basement, and finding themselves somewhere else entirely. They discover pretty quickly that they are in the fairy tale of Snow White and they have messed up the plot. Will they stay and fix it or try to leave while they still can? Although a ton of effort went into giving Abby a great personality, it wasn’t enough for me to make up for the lack of creativity. I appreciate the concept of retelling classic stories, but only if it makes them better or more understandable. In this case, corrupting this story with a dose of reality took away all the gilding and left me feeling a bit empty. Sort of like if the characters that walk around Disney took off their masks. EL –OPTIONAL Reviewer: Stephanie MLS graduate & Author.

Muriel Spark: the covers

We'll all be doing lots of reading this week, both on blogs and in books, so I thought I'd offer up a different view of Spark - with a selection of covers.  These are all her novels, in order of publication, although the covers are not all first editions.  I just picked a selection to demonstrate the wide variety of styles which she has been given.  Your thoughts, please!

I love the quirky old Penguin covers - exemplified by the first one below, The Comforters - which seem to get across something of Spark's style.  But I think my favourite might be Memento Mori, which was a Time book club edition... how about you?  Favourite cover from those below?  Which do you think accurately convey the sort of novels Spark writes?  Any favourites which I haven't featured?

Head over to Harriet's tomorrow, for more Muriel Spark Reading Week fun.

Oh, and because I wanted to get it in somewhere this week, Pam sent me the link to this excellent interview with Muriel Spark.  I couldn't get the audio to work, but the transcript is great.