Abigail Adams, Pirate of the Caribbean by Steve Sheinkin

How I Heard About It:  This second book in a series came to me via the publisher.  I was not aware of the series.  I began the reading with curiosity and thinking it would be perfect for my fourth grade readers.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *The story begins with two students that are in class and learning about history.  They had recently gone on an adventure with Abraham Lincoln
(book #1)  

2.  *The story then switches back in time to when Abigail and John Adams have moved into the White House.  Abigail isn't thrilled with her wifely duties, but John tells her how well she is doing and hurries off to run the country.  

3.  *Abigail wants more for her life and finds herself traveling in time to become a pirate along with a group of "swarthy" men.  

4.  The two students "hop" into their special history book to save Abigail from the pirates.  But does she want to be saved?  

5.  Abigail is enjoying her new life, her journey, and all the adventures the pirates bring her.  Is she ready to return to her "normal" life back in Washington D.C.?  The two children must find this out.  


What I Thought Of It:  This was a quick and enjoyable read.  I would love to house this series in my classroom and know that students would enjoy.  I liked how the plot brought history alive in an interesting and fun way.  There were historical references, but also just a lot of plain fun and adventure.  The illustrations were great and would be appealing to young readers.  All and all, I enjoyed it and think there is definitely a place for this type of book in all classrooms.  I'm curious to see who the next historical figure will be.  


Who Should Read It:  The book and series could be put in grades two, three, and four.  There may be some fifth and sixth grade readers that would still enjoy the simple and silly story.  The book needs to be put in the hands of individual readers because of the illustrations and book set up.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars

Other Wood by Pete Hautman

How I Heard About It:  A friend of mine recommended this novel to me.  I actually had a copy of it so I dug it out from the pile and put it at the top of my list to be read.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *Stuey lives with his mother and grandfather.  He spends hours with his grandfather out in the woods and talking.  They have a special bond.

2.  *After Stuey's grandfather dies, Stuey is left alone to figure out all the stories he shared with him before his death.  He knows the answers are in the woods.  

3.  *Stuey meets a friend on the other side of the woods named Elly Rose.  They each have a special place in their heart for the woods, but for different reasons.  They also each have a special "place" in the woods that they want to share with their new friend.  

4.  Each family isn't thrilled at how much time the two kids are spending in the woods because they are fearful something awful may happen.  When that awful thing happens, each family deals with it in their own way.  

5.  Stuey, Elly Rose, and grandfather all have knowledge about the woods and what truly goes on there.  It will be up to Stuey and Elly Rose to bring the past forward and answer some of the mysteries questions that have been haunting these families for quite some time.  


What I Thought Of It:  The start of the story was strong and I enjoyed getting to know Stuey and his family.  I was curious about that the woods "held" and how this area tied to Stuey's family and past.  Elly Rose was an incredible and spunky character.  She brought a lot of life to Stuey and his situation.   Once the incident in the woods unfolded, I did become a little confused with the story line.  The writing went back and forth between Stuey and Elly Rose's story.  I wasn't sure what was actually happening and what might have been fantasy.  It could have been because I was reading too fast that I missed something.  Overall, I enjoyed the writing, the characters, and the story.  


Who Should Read It:  In my opinion, this novel would be be suited for readers in grades five and six, along with middle-school readers.  If you know of young readers that enjoy mystery, fantasy, and a bit of "dark woods", then this is the novel for them.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

How I Heard About It:  Many of twitter reader friends have been "chatting" about this novel for the last few weeks or so.  I listened to it on Audible.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *Ollie lives with her father.  She is mourning the loss of her mother.  She finds peace and comfort in the books she reads.

2.  *One day she stumbles across a woman by the river.  She is about to throw a book in the river.  Ollie saves both the woman and the book.  The book goes home with her. She begins to read the story and her life is changed.  

3.  *The book is called Small Spaces and includes the story of a women, two brothers, and a mysterious man named "Smiling Man".  There lives include a spell or two.  

4.  Ollie's class takes a field trip to a historical farm that has a history all its own.  On the return trip, the bus breaks down, the teacher goes to get help, and the children are left with a mysterious bus driver.  

5.  Ollie and two classmates depart the bus to get their own help.  Once they are away from the bus, Ollie shares the book with the other two children and they begin to encounter their own mystery that is tied to the story in the book Ollie has been reading.  


What I Thought Of It:  The beginning was a bit slow and I wasn't sure what all the fuss was about.  Once the class went on the field trip and the bus broke down, then I became more interested and curious about the story.  The plot turned into a turn page-turn and contained many elements of a horror and/or ghost story.  The creepy factor was top-notch and I could see young readers being drawn into the scary aspect of the story.  This would be the perfect book to read during the month of October.  


Who Should Read It:  The story can be a bit scary so I'm thinking readers would be in grades four or above.  Because of the mystery, suspense, and horror; the book could make for a strong class read aloud.  I also think middle-school readers would enjoy the adventures that Ollie has to face.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars

Very Rich by Polly Horvath

How I Heard About It:  I have read other Polly Horvath novels and have enjoyed them.  I was excited to see she had a new book out.  I didn't know what the plot line was so it was going to be "cold" read.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *Rupert is the main character.  He is ten years old and comes from a very poor family.  There is little food, little money, and no extras in life.  

2.  *While taking a walk to school, on Christmas no less, Rupert comes across a very large home and is "accidentally" thrown into their yard.  It is here that his adventure begins.  

3.  He learns that a classmate, Turgid Rivers, lives in this mansion.  Turgid invites Rupert in where the two boys end up celebrating Christmas with Turgid's large and unusual family.  

4.  After "losing" what he "gained" during this initial visit, Rupert goes back to his own life and poverty.  A few days later, both Turgid's mother and uncle show up and invite him to "follow" them.

5.  He has more than one magical adventure with the members of Turgid's family and "travels" to worlds that he never dreamed existed.  


What I Thought Of It:  When I first started the novel, I was excited and enjoyed the story.  It was so enjoyable reading about Rupert and his first exposure to the Rivers' family.  They were rich, different, and had some mighty magical elements about them.  After Rupert's first visit, the story lost me a bit.  He went on one grand adventure with Mrs. River that was kind of bizarre.  He also went on a second journey with Turgid's uncle and that section of the book was even more bizarre.  What I thought was going to be a realistic fiction story, I learned it was more of a fantasy and time travel type story.  


Who Should Read It:  The novel would be best suited for readers in grades five and six.  Of course middle-school readers would also be appropriate for the story.  Children that enjoy reading about time travel, wacky families, and wild adventures; will definitely enjoy the story.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars

The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss

How I Heard About It:  After reading a few incredible reviews of this book, I bought the audio version on Audible.  The story kept me company the last couple of weeks during my commute.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *Bicycle was left at the "Mostly Silent Monastery" when she was a little girl.  Sister Wanda took her under her wing and raised her as her own.

2.  *Wanda worried that Bicycle didn't have any friends and wanted to make sure she did.  She was going to send Bicycle to a "camp" that fosters friendships.  Bicycle wants no part of that.

3.  When she learns that a famous cyclist is going to be in San Francisco, she comes up with a plan to hop on her bicycle and make her way across the country.  

4.  The first part of the journey brings one big surprise for Bicycle.  She learns that her bike is being "haunted" by a ghost that is a former soldier from years ago.  The two of them make their way west while making new friends and meeting quite a cast of characters.  

5.  During part of the journey, Bicycle comes into contact with a person from the monastery and is afraid it will change everything about her quest to meet her idol.  She must rely on herself and her new "friends" to continue the adventure and pursue her dream.  


What I Thought Of It:  I'm not normally a reader who enjoys fantasy or whimsical story lines, but with this particular book, I loved every minute of it.  I was drawn into the story from page one and enjoyed every adventure, twist and turn, and surprise along with way.  Bicycle was one of the most heart-warming characters I've read about in a long time.  The writer did such an incredible job of making me feel like I was right on that bike with her.  The story was fun, unique, and also had an important lesson for not only Bicycle herself, but the reader too.  Everything about the novel was top-notch.  


Who Should Read It:   I think the book could be used as a class read aloud.  This could be done in grades two through six.  I know all those ages would enjoy this tale.  For individual readers, they could be a strong reader in grade three or in grades four and above.  Adult readers who read middle-grade novels, must put this on their to be read list.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars

Snow Lane by Josie Angelini

How I Heard About It:  The novel came to me via the publisher.  I actually had not seen the book before or heard any other reader talk about it.  It is kind of fun to start a new story without any prior knowledge.


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *Annie is a fifth grader and the youngest of nine children.  She comes from a large family that working hard to cover up some difficult situations.  

2.  *She tries to fit in a school by being a kind and cheerful girl, but that can be hard when she has only hand-me-downs and doesn't get to experience life like the other girls in class.  

3.  *Annie has to rely on some of her older siblings for support as her father is often gone and her mother is suffering from some sort of emotional/mental issue.  

4.  *She does have one true friend at school that provides both safety and comfort to her that she gets nowhere else.

5.  *After one of her older siblings "leaves", the familie's secrets are exposed and now Annie has to deal with the truth of what she has been hiding for so long.  


What I Thought Of It:  This story was just ok to me.  I was thinking I was going to be drawn in and emotionally impacted, but that didn't happen.  It might be because I'm not the target audience for the story.  I did feel awful for Annie and what she had to endure.  As I read I wasn't sure who the proper audience would be.  There were several mature themes and vocabulary used.  I will often rave about "sad" and "depressing" books, but usually there is some sense of hope underlying.  I didn't find that with this particular story.  


Who Should Read It:  As I mentioned, I'm not sure who the best audience would be for the story.  In my opinion, I would say definitely fifth grade and above.  Middle-school readers may be the best bet. I'm also not sure if young readers would enjoy the plot because it is sad and a bit dark.  Of course if there is a reader who experienced something similar to what Annie went through, then it could be a wonderful "mirror" book.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars

Stella Diaz Has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez

How I Heard About It:  This fun title came to me via the publisher.  I had read a few reviews about the story so I knew a bit.  I was excited to read it.


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *Stella is a young girl who loves her life.  She is social, outgoing, and loves spending time with her best friend.

2.  *When a new school year begins, Stella is disappointed when she finds out Jenny, her best friend, is in another class.  


3.  *When a new boy arrives at school, Stella looks at this as a chance for a new friend and more excitement in her own life.  

4.  *Stella struggles with her English as her family has moved from Mexico to a suburb of Chicago.  She also makes mistakes with her Spanish.  Struggling with these two languages leads to a variety of difficulties for both Stella and her friends.

5.  *A big oral presentation is coming up in her class, and Stella is stressed, anxious, and worried.  She puts her mind to it and wants to conquer this presentation.  


What I Thought Of It:  This story was based on Angela's childhood growing up as a Mexican-American.  She was a spit-fire character and fun to read about.  I also enjoyed the supporting cast of characters.  They added greatly to the story.  There wasn't a whole lot of action in the plot, but it was a sweet story about a young girl, her immigrant family, and the friends she surrounded herself with.  There was several important life-lessons strewn throughout the pages of the book.  I can see many young girls enjoying the story.  


Who Should Read It:  The audience for Angela's novel would be readers in grades three through six. If you have a Spanish speaking student, I know they would be able to relate to Stella's story and experience.  Female readers may be a better fit for this particular story. Happy Reading!  

Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars